Game
by Branmuffinpower
Summary: No one in the Pokemon world can back down from a challenge, least of all Gary Oak. With his pride on the line, he raises the stakes in a bet he knows he can't lose. But this time, Ash Ketchum's got an ace up his sleeve.
1. Part I

**Author's Note:** I wrote my first and only Pokemon fic in late 2003. Nearly nine years later – here I am again (I am just kind of amazed by the situation). I started playing Pokemon Red a few weeks ago and I just found myself writing this story. It was intended as a one shot initially, but it was pushing 18,000 words and I _still_ wanted to write a part II . I think I'm going to make it a three-part series. The next installments should come pretty quickly as I've already written most of the story, I just need to do some editing. Enjoy!I apologize in advance to any hardcore Pokemon fans; my knowledge of the game and show stops after first generation. I've done a little research but I'm sure there are some inconsistencies with the canon universe.

**Summary:** No one in the Pokemon world can back down from a challenge, least of all Gary Oak. With his pride on the line, he raises the stakes in a bet he's sure he can win. But he doesn't know Ash Ketchum's got an ace up his sleeve this time.

Game  
**Part I**

Gary Oak was bored. A martini glass was lazily perched in one hand as the other was strategically placed in the pocket of his designer jeans, making him, Gary Oak, the picture of man who just didn't give a damn. He daresay it suited him; there were still dozens of women pointing in his direction and whispering behind cupped hands.

_Is that really him? _

_Oh he's even more handsome in person! _

_I heard he's hung like a Gyarados!_

Gary had heard it all before. He'd been hearing it for years. Hell, when he was just ten years old not only did Gary have his own convertible, but also six goregous women at his beck and call! They used to drive a pint-sized Gary around chanting his name over and over again, giggling foolishly every time he won a battle. Back then, it was all he could do to get his over inflated head through doors. Back then, he relished the thought of throwing his success in the face of his somewhat incompetent rival Ash Ketchum. Back then, things seemed pretty sweet. And yet, somewhere along the road it just became terribly mundane. The car, the victories, the girls – everything was just so pedestrian.

Gary mused on the subject often. Perhaps it was all too easy now. All he had to do was walk into a crowded night club on a Friday night and he had a throng of women offering up their panties to him. He couldn't order a drink without a twenty-something latching herself onto him, inviting herself back to his place, practically salivating at the thought of him in bed. Admittedly, at first, he was so excited by the idea he wouldn't hesitate to escort these bimbos back to his personal suite. Sometimes he'd go back for seconds, so to speak. He couldn't even count the number of time he'd been offered to participate in a three-way.

But it had gotten old fast. The media had caught wind of his exploits and amped it up tenfold. It got so bad that it was strange if he didn't bring a woman home – paparazzi would print the next day; "Is Gary Oak now Gary Choke?" and nonsense such as that. It was even at the point where women didn't even know why he was famous anymore; they merely had seen him with his shirt off in last month's issue of PokeHunks. He didn't even bother mentioning his research anymore; none of these women even knew he had Pokemon let alone a doctorate.

He hated to admit it, but he so desperately wanted to actually pursue a woman for once. He wanted the opportunity to spot her from across the room, scope her out, study her every movement. When she was unaware - Bam! He would strike That's what the game was all about. He missed that. These days he didn't even have to try! Where was the chase? Where was the excitement?

It was times like these that Gary would recall the thrill of the hunt from his days as a Pokemon trainer.

_Was that – was that rustling? He strains his ears to hear it over the afternoon breeze. Yes, there was definitely a sound. He cranes his neck to find the source of the noise. Deftly he moves through the grass, careful not to make a single peep. His hawk-like eyes peer over a rock until – there in the grass! A new Pokemon!_

_The Pokemon's ears perk up. A vacant stare falls over its eyes as it lifts its head to identify the noise. He is frozen in place, his breath caught in his throat. The creature continues to stare forward. His limbs begin to protest but he refuses to make the slightest movement. Is it seconds? Minutes? Hours? He is only vaguely aware that his lungs are about to burst. Finally after what he perceives to be eons, the animal's ears relax. He silently exhales. It hasn't seen him. _

_The wild beast is blissfully unaware of his presence; it dines on a feast of shrubs and leaves. A wicked smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. Today's the day he gets a new pokemon._

_He pulls out his pokedex to identify this new creature. Once assessing its strengths and weaknesses he reaches down to his belt and makes his choice. In his hand he holds the perfect opponent. He examines his reflection in the cherry red pokeball; damn, he looks good! Without a word, he presses his lips to the cool surface before he lets it fly into the air. The wild pokemon does not even have a chance to hear his battle cry before being beaten into submission. It isn't even a close fight. His pokemon bursts forth and let's its opponent have it. A second pokeball emerges from nowhere and the beast is trapped inside. _

_There's a moment when he is unsure if it will stay put. The ball teeters and totters back and forth. Anxiously he watches as the ball continues to wobble. Will it come out? Will it run away? _

_No. He's won. _

Gary reminisced fondly about his days as a Pokemon trainer. That's not to say he regretted research; it was singularly one of the best decisions he'd ever made. But he could not deny the nostalgia he felt. There was something about the competitive nature of capturing and battling Pokemon that had always appealed to him. It was the sense of triumph in his victory. He'd always felt that way about women, though he couldn't say that he was battling or capturing any women these days. He was merely evading capture from them. It was tiresome and worst of all, boring.

All of it - completely and totally boring. As was this alleged party. He stood amidst a sea of oblivious party-goers, happily chatting and nibbling on hors d'oeuvres that Mr. Mime was busing around. Gary Oak was at the house of his long time rival, sometimes friend, Ash Ketchum. Admittedly, he was impressed that Ash had finally received the title of Pokemon Master. Ash been telling everyone he was going to be one someday, so Gary was relieved by the fact he wasn't going to have to hear about it anymore.

Even though he and Ash had reached an understanding, it was unlike Gary to give up on the rivalry completely. He still mercilessly teased Ash whenever he could. It was simply too fun a game to give up; Ash was still quick to anger especially when challenged by his old rival. Gary would have thought years of disciplined training would have taught him something about patience and keeping a cool head around people. But then again, perhaps that was it. He spent all his time with Pokemon and virtually none of it with actual people these days.

Today, all of Pallet Town was gathered in the Ketchum's yard to celebrate Ash's achievements. Gary was considerably surprised at the number of people who showed up. He hadn't realized just how many people Ash had met while traveling; half of Kanto must have been there! Among the faces he recognized were that of the famous Gym Leaders. Countless of people had showed up to honor him. Gary frowned; perhaps even if Ash was a bit impatient and tactless at times, the people who knew him seemed to be very fond of him.

Gary wasn't going to come initially. He was busy working at the lab and was so dreading making small talk with random strangers. His grandfather, of course, convinced him. Sam Oak had always been very affectionate towards Ash. Gary presumed he thought of Ash as an underdog who needed encouragement to blossom. It didn't bother Gary much when they were young – he had his own cheerleading squad for Mew's sake! However, he did begin to feel like a second fiddle to Ash later on. It sometimes felt like Sam thought of Ash as his grandson and Gary as just another trainer from Pallet. Perhaps part of it was because Sam seemed to like Ash's mother, Delia so much. The grim reality of Ash being family seemed to loom on the horizon which troubled Gary all the more.

Gary had decided if he was going to attend this party he was going to make some sort of statement. He strolled into the party wearing all designer clothes; being a researcher paid pretty well. A fitted black blazer hung loose around his toned body that was hugged by a silky purple T-shirt. On the bottom pair of black jeans that were perhaps tighter than necessary, topped off with a pair of aviators and a moonstone on cord around his neck. His bed head chic look was just right as he swaggered through the gate into the Ketchums' back yard.

Gary had to admit Ash must have been doing pretty well. The decoration was top notch. In the center of the yard there was fountain that he had never seen before. A stone basin stood at the foot and was filled to the brim with water Pokemon, relaxing and splashing about. In the center of the shallow pool stood a grand statue of a Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle, perhaps in homage to some of Ash's first and favorite Pokemon. The stone Bulbasaur sat closest to the base, while its Charmander counterpart stood on the bulb protruding from its back. Finally the playful Squirtle was situated on Charmander's shoulders and was spewing water into the air like the real thing.

The fountain was clearly the focal point of the party, but Gary was admittedly awed by the effort Mrs. Ketchum had put in the rest of the yard. Long tables lined the eastern and western fences; each with a spread that would dwarf a Thanksgiving feast. Each table was covered in a crème colored table cloth accented with gold trimming. In the center of each table there stood a majestic ice sculpture. The first was the beautiful Articuno; the sun glinted in its crystalline wings and its swirling tail feathers. The second was that of the equally striking Mew. Mew was known to be a playful creature; the sculptor had crafted the Pokemon to look as though was dancing, limbs stretched, arch backed and a mischievous grin on its face.

An awning stretched out over the part of the yard closest to the house and kept the fairer skinned guests safe from the sun. Golden drapes were hung along the edges and lanterns hung inside. Each lantern was spherical and held a single candle to be lit at night. They hung by a single transparent string. These bobbing globes of light were the hostess's most anticipated surprise of the evening. It was Delia's hope that when they were lit, the guests would be transported to an other worldly place. In the day time the merely emulated bubbles, but at night they'd be the talk of Pallet town.

The other half of the yard to was open to the sun shine. Poliwags were shooting bubbles over the guests and hovering Butterfrees scattered flower petals on the hour. Mrs. Ketchum's beloved Mr. Mime served the guests delicate little appetizers on a silver platter, followed suit by a Poliwhirl and a Machop. It really would have been quite spectacular if Gary had been at all interested in decorations. The truth was though, he couldn't wait to leave.

Gary did his best to be polite; he greeted Mrs. Ketchum with a kiss on the hand making some comment about her garden being more exquisite than Erika's in Celadon City. She, of course, remarked on what a gentleman he was and how glad she was that he and her little Ashy now got along much better. She hastily shooed him away to find her son so they could 'catch up.'

Instead, Gary chose to sample the buffet, thinking that if he had to be here he might as well get something out of it. The array was incredible; platters of golden roasted chicken stuffed with herbs and breading were the first thing that caught young man's fancy. He soon caught a whiff of smoked salmon sitting on a bed of fluffy white rice drizzled in a white tartar sauce. A rack of ribs stood proudly in the center, absolutely smothered in mint jelly. The most appetizing of all though were the cakes. Some over seven layers, these confections towered into the sky and were aptly decorated with chocolate versions of Pikachus and various other Pokemon. Gary didn't quite know where to start!

After selecting his choice of fine meats, cheeses and other assorted delicacies Gary intended on having some alone time. He was sorely disappointed when he found a gaggle of young women stalking him. He knew they would not leave him be until he let them approach so he let out a sigh and prepared for the worst.

The chirping youngsters proclaimed to members of GOALS - Gary Oak Appreciation & Love Society - Pallet Town chapter - and were dying for his autograph. He noted with minor irritation they were also wearing shirts with his face on them and they were all gazing up at him enamored. Gary made a hasty retreat, proclaiming he needed to use the bathroom, but in reality quickly disappeared behind a large elm tree, the trunk of which had mostly shielded him from view. There, he was able to eat in peace.

Gary was not one for chit chat so he merely grabbed a drink from the passing Poliwhirl as he continued to hide under the tree for the rest of the party. He became so bored he was reduced to people watching. His eyes scanned over the yard searching for something interesting to observe. He noticed his Grandfather making conversation with Delia. Gary also noticed the way she was laughing at everything the senior Oak said and he, in turn, was either consciously or unconsciously leaning in towards her. Gary quickly looked away before he felt the urge to vomit. It was one thing for someone as old as his Grandfather to be hitting on someone, but did it have to be Ash Ketchum's mother?

Gary continued to scan the crowd of chittering partygoers when he happened to gaze upon something unexpected and decidedly more interesting. His eyes found the backside of a woman who was bending over to feed a Pokemon. She was wearing a hip hugging turquoise skirt, with just the tiniest flare that landed mid thigh. It was an remarkable skirt; her legs seemed to go on for days. On top, as far as he could tell she was wearing a short sleeved, white, button-down shirt. Although he couldn't see her face he had an inkling she was beautiful; she was swamped by other men. He could see Brock, the Pewter City gym leader standing nearby so he had to deduce she was probably very attractive. Even if Brock could be a bit of a buffoon, Gary happened to know he had excellent taste in women.

The crowd of men did not deter him, of course. In fact, if anything it made him want to approach her more. There was nothing Gary liked more than competition. Pokemon and women were really no different; he watched to catch them all and be damned anyone who got in his way. The woman straightened up and for the first time he got a glimpse of her curvy hourglass figure. Her hair cascaded down her back in tangerine ribbons and he could tell just by looking it was probably softer than an Eevee's fur. He imagined it smelled a lot better too for that matter. The way it caught the light was so dazzling he found himself unable to tear himself away. But he still could not glimpse her face.

Gary knew better than to rush over to her and look. When it came to women he played it cool. He decided he would make his way over and accidentally brush shoulders with her – then play it off as some accident and introduce himself. Once she got wind of the Gary Oak charm it was game over.

Gary inhaled deeply, feeling something other than boredom for the first time that day. Maybe this was going to be the one to give him a run for his money. He couldn't help but feel like it was going to be arduous to swat all those men away, but he daresay he almost looked forward to it. Gary loved being the alpha in a group. He stood up and dusted off his shirt, preparing for his liaison. He licked his lips and began to swagger over. He had just enough time to hear a jaunty tune in his ear before it happened. Some dumb schmuck smashed right into him. Gary, caught unaware, was thrown to the ground.

"Hey what's the big idea?" He said recovering quickly. He sat up to look at his attacker to find it was none other than the man of the hour.

"Gary?" said a still some-what dizzy Ash Ketchum. Gary was already on his feet again causing Ash to gaze up at his former rival.

Ash had, in fact, grown up considerably since Gary has last seen him. Gary suspected his old rival was only an inch or two shorter than himself and considering the intense training he was even showing some signs of muscle tone (but Gary still had him beat there). His raven colored hair was still a mess but he no longer hid it under a hat anymore. He was dressed pretty casually though; a pair of old blue jeans and a navy blue polo. He was also sporting a solid red tie that had obviously been loosened hours ago and was hanging limply around his neck. He was still the mess that Gary had always remembered.

"Isn't this typical," Gary said shaking his head. "Ash Ketchum always with his head in the clouds."

Ash frowned. Yep, it was Gary all right. No one could agitate him so quickly with a single sentence. "What're you doing here, Gary?" he said, the irritation clearly showing in his voice.

"I was invited. Didn't anyone tell you?" Gary reached a hand down and ruffled the other man's hair.

"No I know that," Ash said swatting Gary's hand away. He began to get up; he didn't like that he was literally looking up to Gary while they had a conversation. "I thought you were busy with research though," he clarified once he was standing again.

"I didn't come for you, if that's what you're thinking," he teased. "Gramps insisted I stop by and show my support for a fellow Pallet town trainer."

"I'm so lucky," said the obviously unmoved Ash. "To have a friend like you, Gary."

"You better believe it!" he raised a single finger to signal that Ash best not forget it. "And how does the Stupendous Ash Ketchum treat his friends?" he continued tragically, putting the back of one hand to his forehead. "By mowing them down without so much an apology!"

"Hey, I didn't hear you apologize either," said now pointing his own finger at Gary accusingly.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you it's rude to point?" Gary said snidely, laughing as he stated so.

A nerve in Ash's head throbbed. This was just like Gary to push his buttons. Even after they had sort of become friends he never ceased with the taunts and the jabs. "I'd say it was pretty rude of you to constantly insult me at every chance you get," seethed the Pokemon Master.

"Now Ash, you're just being sensitive. I'm only kidding around," he said good naturedly. "Don't get your panties in a twist." He put his arm around Ash and gave him a squeeze. "Can't a guy be concerned about his friend, huh? What's got you running into your party guests, who, if I may add, wore very expensive clothing just for the occasion?"

"I was distracted, okay?" Ash said crossing his arms and turning away from his antagonist. He decided to ignore the bit about Gary's attire completely for the sake of keeping the conversation civil.

"Yeah I noticed," Gary said knowingly. "Did I hear humming as well?" he couldn't help it; a gleeful grin was playing at the corner of his lips.

"No!" Ash said defensively.

"Yes I did, you little scamp!" He gave Ash a slap on the shoulder to show his approval. "What's got into you that has you distracted and humming?"

"It's nothing!" Ash insisted pulling out of Gary's grasp and attempting to make a hasty departure. But Gary could not be discouraged so easily.

"Oh it's something. And if I didn't know better I'd say that something isn't a something at all. It's a someone!" Ash stopped in tracks and slowly turned his towards the young researcher. He really did not want to have this conversation with Gary Oak. Not now, not ever.

Sensing Ash's hesitation, he gave Ash a playful punch. "Come on Ash, just tell me," he insisted. "Tell your old pal Gary."

Ash contemplated this. Indeed something was on his mind. And he was, in fact, dying to get it off his chest. It had taken him a surprising amount of will power, but he had managed to keep it a secret from everyone except Pikachu (who couldn't speak anyway). He didn't want to risk anyone spilling the beans. But he was ready to burst! Ash thought it might be good to tell someone who couldn't possibly spill the beans. Gary seemed to be that person. Gary wasn't really close to anyone Ash knew personally, not really anyway. He certainly wasn't close enough to any of them to reveal a very personal secret about the guest of honor. This was how he rationalized the situation but truly Ash was merely seeking out an excuse to talk. It was killing him!

"All right, all right fine!" said a defeated Ash. "Not that it's any of your business, but I'm gonna make Misty Waterflower my girlfriend today." Even though it wasn't any of Gary's business, Ash was so pleased and so confident with his life these days he couldn't help but sound a little boastful as he said it.

Gary raised an eyebrow. _Misty Waterflower? _That name did sound familiar. Could Ash be referring to that scrawny little runt who used to follow him around? Yes, the one with the funny red hair and big mouth.

"Geez, Ash. What took you so long?" If Gary recalled correctly, that little firecracker had been following Ash around since day one. If he was so sweet on her, why had it taken him ten years to finally make a move?

Ash was thrown for a curve. What, indeed, had taken so long? Although he always had feelings for her, he wasn't positive he was ever aware of it until more recently. When he had first met her he was consumed with becoming a Pokemon master; girls were the farthest thing from his mind. All he could dream about was earning badges, catching new Pokemon and making it to the Pokemon League. Pokemon, Pokemon, Pokemon! His feelings for Misty fell to the wayside in midst of his training. It wasn't until she left him and Brock that he began feel as though something was missing from his life. And that something was Misty.

He had tried very hard to keep in touch with her, but his Pokemon journey took him elsewhere and he found it harder and harder to do so. But even though new people continually entered his life but he never managed to forget her.

"For your information, I've been very busy lately," Ash retorted, folding his arms. "In case you didn't notice, this is a party celebrating my becoming a Pokemon master. What have you been doing since I last saw you?" he added sourly. Ash knew Gary was researching something, but for the life of him, Ash could not say what exactly Gary did.

"My thesis regarding the modulation of gene-induced evolution by targeting dendritic cell physiology was recently published, I became the youngest person to ever receive of doctorate of Advanced Pokemon Genetics from Viridian University and was named number one hottest bachelor by Pokehunks magazine."

Ash let out a sound that sounded akin to a growl. It was so like Gary to one up him. Ash becomes a Pokemon Master, Gary solves all the world's problems and looks great doing it. But today was a different day than usual. Today was the day he was going to tell Misty how he felt about her. Nothing could ruin it. "Well Congratulations, Gary. But after today I'm going to have the hottest girl in Kanto as my girlfriend!"

Gary stifled a chuckle that was itching to get out of his throat. He didn't remember Misty terribly well, but was sure he would have remembered what the hottest chick in Kanto looked like. She was definitely not it. He had to admire Ash's gumption though - if he thought she was; well, good for him. He sure was a go-getter.

"How wonderful for you, Ash." For a moment Gary seemed like he might have actually meant it. Ash's featured softened some. "Hope you've got plenty of Ibuprofen, you're going to need it!" he couldn't resist making one more comment. To be fair, Gary really didn't know Misty, but he seemed to recall hearing that she was incredibly hotheaded on top of being loud and opinionated. And he couldn't pass up the chance to burn Ash on something he was obviously so proud about.

"Oh yeah?" Ash countered, Gary's remarks digging under his skin. "Well – " Ash was never known for his eloquence; he had difficulty thinking of his feet when it came to the fine art of rhetoric. "Well – I don't see you with anyone here today!"

Gary could only laugh at this. "Please Ash, haven't you been reading the papers? I'm the most sought after man in Kanto these days," he said with smirk and a carefree gesture that suggested the banality of it all.

"Then why don't you have a date?" Ash persisted, bent on winning the battle of wills.

"If I wanted one I would. You and I both know that I could have any woman at this party if I wanted."

"Really," said a skeptic Ash. "Any woman at the whole party?" An image sprang to mind suddenly. Yes, he definitely could think of at least _one_ girl who could not be spellbound by the likes of Gary Oak. One girl who wouldn't touch him with a thirty nine and a half inch pole.

"Forget this sad excuse for a party, I could have any woman in the world," bragged the young Oak.

A grin found its way to Ash's mouth. "Care to make it interesting?" the Pokemon master asked.

"What did you have in mind?" retaliated the equally interested Pokemon researcher. Gary Oak may have been a lot of things, but he was never one to walk away from a challenge.

"I'll pick a girl here, any girl here, if you can't seduce her before the party ends," Ash hesitated. What did he want from Gary? Groveling? A declaration of inferiority? Servitude for an unspecified length of time? The possibilities were endless. He decided he would leave the parameters of the bet mysterious, that way he didn't have to choose this very moment. "You have to do something for me."

"And if I can seduce her?" Gary challenged back. Another battle waged in his mind – what could he do to Ash that he hadn't already? What would knock his rival back a peg and make him remember who was really the star of Pallet Town? "Let's up the ante, shall we? You have to back off on the pursuit of your own woman whilst I work."

"You mean – "

"That's right, today's not going to be the day Ash Ketchum get's laid!"

"HEY!" Ash cried obstinately. "Who said anything about getting laid?" He said incredulously, upset, but not altogether surprised, that Gary seemed to think that was all he wanted from Misty. "And besides," he added as an afterthought. "I've – I've done it before," he said in a voice barely above a whisper.

Gary did not feel the need to reply to this remark. He was fairly certain Ash was lying, but he did not feel the need to press the issue. After all he had a bet to win.

"So you agree then, you can't talk to her for the entirety of the party?"

Ash bit his lip. He hadn't seen Misty in a long time; this party could be his only opportunity. If he let her get away again she'd be whisked off to the Cerulean Gym and who knows where he would be.

"What if she talks to me?" Ash said hopefully. "Then you ignore her Ashy-boy. It's like she's not even there!" Ash flinched. Misty would not like being ignored. Especially not after the lengthy interval he had been away.

"So let me get this straight," Ash started. "As soon as you declare yourself beaten, whether it be when the party is over or you give up," Gary gave a snort at this. Gary Oak didn't give up. "Then I get to talk Misty." Gary nodded his head.

"This doesn't seem right," Ash reasoned out loud. "If I can't talk to Misty all day, it doesn't matter if I win or lose – I'll still miss my chance with her."

"Okay hot shot, then this should make it worth your while. If, Mew help me, I lose, I will personally talk you up to her and tell her to find you after the party's over. That way you're not breaking the rules."

Ash considered this. A personal recommendation from Gary probably wasn't going to mean much to Misty. However, maybe if he could play his cold shoulder act as something else, perhaps he still had a chance. "What exactly are you going to say?" Ash questioned dubiously.

"What do you want me to say?"

Ash's brow furrowed as he relayed in his mind what he wanted Misty to hear. "You have to tell her that I've been avoiding her all day because I've been planning something extra special for her. A surprise! And tell her I've got something really important I want to say to her that needs to be said in private. And tell her if she wants to hear it, she has to meet me," Ash paused as a flood of nostalgia washed over him. He knew the perfect meeting spot. "She has to meet where we first met. Where she fished me out of the river. At midnight. The party should be over by then."

Ash wasn't sure why he was doing this. When had a little challenge turned into this? A win meant Misty, a loss meant letting her go. And all for a stupid bet with Gary. Ash frowned. He wasn't so sure he wanted to go through with this anymore.

"So you agree. If I win, you can't have any contact with her for the rest of the evening. If I lose I give you Misty on a silver platter?"

Gary noted Ash's hesitation. He must have really liked this girl. Gary couldn't help but think smugly he picked exactly the right terms to throw Ash off his high horse.

"C'mon now Ash," Gary coaxed. "You're not scared, are ya?" he said with mock sincerity.

"No I am not. I just don't know if jeopardizing my future with Misty is worth wasting on the likes of you," he spat.

"Oh come now Ash. Think of how romantic it will be," Gary said putting his arm around rival's shoulders. He put out his arm to gesture into some unforeseen future. "I can see it now. A broken-hearted Misty; her beloved friend hasn't said a single word to her all day. She doesn't even know why she's still here. And suddenly!" Gary turned dramatically towards Ash, making the shorter man jump slightly. "A handsome devil appears. Oh where has she seen this Adonis before? Why, could that be, the famous, handsome, fearless – "

"Would you cut it out?" Ash interrupted wrenching himself away from Gary's grasp.

Gary's narrative was undeterred by Ash's interruption. "Yes, it is! Gary Oak. The very bravest and handsomest of men. He asks the young maiden, 'Why are you crying so? This is a happy occasion!' But the girl continues to weep as chocked sobs whisper the name 'Ash.'"

Ash took this moment to roll his eyes. If Misty was upset with him over his frosty demeanor, she'd probably be more angry than sad.

"The wise young man nods his head knowingly. 'Ah yes, I know all about your young fellow. He hasn't said a word to you all day has he?' The wistful girl looks up. 'H-how could you know that?' she says, her bottom lip trembling only slightly. 'Because my dear, Ash is a deeply troubled young man. You see, he can't seem to find a way to tell you something terribly important. So he asked me, Gary Oak, to request your presence by the river, where he will reveal to you the inner desires of his heart.'"

By now, Gary was in full character. His monologue was filled with many grandiose gestures and dramatic pauses. He was going to milk this to the very last drop. He was really itching for the opportunity to get competitive again. This bet with Ash was the first game he'd had in months.

"She arises swiftly, her eyes on the horizon. 'Yes,' she says. 'I will go to him!' She scampers off into the woods, chest heaving, eyes glowing, loins –"

"Gary…" Ash warned dangerously. Gary made the decision to skip over the part where he graphically details the goings on of this young woman's body.

"And there he is! Our hero standing on the banks of river, reminiscing fondly about days of yore. And then! What's that? There in the water!" Gary pointed an eager finger towards the ground. "Her reflection! She's come for him." Gary used this moment to lovingly wrap his arms around his torso. "'Misty!' he cries as he embraces her, gently sobbing into the white chiffon of her shoulder. 'I love you. I always have. I could not find a way to tell you, for I was insecure and felt terribly inadequate next to Gary – "

"GARY!" Ash fumed, his fingers balled into a fist. Gary took that as a note to wrap up.

"," he smiled proudly and crossed his arms. "Now isn't that a whole lot better than whatever you had in mind?" he pointed had to admit, Gary painted a pretty picture. Although he knew the reality of it would likely be far less melodramatic, it did seem as though he had a situation where Misty couldn't say no. _And besides_ he thought wickedly, _there's no way I can lose!_

"All right Gary, you got yourself a bet!"

…

Gary could not believe what he had gotten himself into. With a single hand shake he had ensured his undeniable doom. It had scarcely been a few minutes into the bet and already he was near certain he would lose. How had he not seen it coming?

Ash had finally agreed to the terms of the bet and now all that was left was to know which one of the bunch Ash would be picking. Gary was almost certain that Ash was going to take the obvious route and pick one of the uggos. But Gary had no problem with that; he could charm a Primeape if he put his mind to it. He also considered Ash might pick out someone very old – again a cakewalk. Older women loved Gary. He thought Ash might even go for someone married or attached; a wise thought but it seemed when it came to Gary most women were not so concerned with fidelity. And yet Ash had managed to avoid every single one these types. Instead, Gary found himself pleasantly surprised when Ash's finger was pointing to the curvy girl with the apricot waves Gary had been admiring from afar.

At first Gary was elated. The first thought that sprung to mind was that he'd be killing two pidgeys with one stone. He couldn't wait for the opportunity to approach her.

"Well," Ash said impatiently. "What are you waiting for?"

"Relax Ashy-boy, these situations require a degree of finesse, something I'm sure you know nothing about." Gary ran a hair through his hair and casually strode towards his target. She was engaged in deep conversation with Brock at the moment, so he intended on casually bumping her shoulder and then apologizing profusely. She didn't stand a chance after that.

This tactic had never failed him before. Except today. The moment Gary's shoulder collided with hers there was an instant recoil and an accusatory voice saying, "Hey! Why don't you watch where you're going?"

She whirled around to face him; indeed she was lovely. He was immediately drawn to her blue green eyes; the color of the ocean. He could almost see Starmies dancing in those pools of cerulean. And that skin! It was fair like that of a porcelain doll and equally flawless. The way those waves of amber framed her features; it was all Gary could do to control himself. _Damn Ketchum,_ he found himself thinking. _Excellent choice. _

As soon as their eyes met a frown fell across her features. "Gary Oak," she said flatly. "I should have known."

Gary furrowed his brow. Did they know each other? Admittedly something about her oddly seemed familiar but, he couldn't recall ever meeting her. _She must have seen me in the papers_, he reasoned in his own head. _Of course! Who hasn't heard of Gary Oak?_

And now it was time for his performance. "I'm terribly sorry Miss. Please excuse my clumsiness, it's just that I was so distracted by your exquisite beauty I couldn't see where I was going."

He expected a blush. A shy smile. A stutter. Nervous laughter. Anything. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and raised a single tawny eyebrow. "You're joking, right?" she said, crossing her arms.

Ah, the skeptical type. He'd just have to be a little more aggressive. "Please don't think me forward but, if I may say so you have the grace and splendor of an Articuno. I'm sure you have a name equally as lovely to match."

The woman laughed derisively; not exactly the reaction he'd been expecting. "Do you really not know who I am?"

_Damn it! _Gary's mind raced. _Who is she? Is she a conquest I'd casually forgotten? _No, Gary dismissed that thought. There was no way in hell he'd forget a woman this stunning. _Where the hell do I know this woman from?_

Suddenly the Pewter City Gym leader injected himself into the conversation, seemingly amused by what he was hearing. "Gary, you remember Misty, don't you? She used to travel around with Ash and I all the time in the old days. She and her sisters run the Cerulean City Gym."

Gary had stopped listening after the first sentence. He wasn't sure, but his heart may have stopped. His only thought: _Oh shit. _

"Speaking of Ash, where is he?" Misty said with a hint of eagerness in her voice. Her head swiveled as she scanned for him. "I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet and – " suddenly she spotted him. "Oh there he is! Listen, we'll finish up this conversation later, Brock," she said. She was just about to head off when she added blandly, "See ya around, Gary." And she was across the yard before he could speak another word.

His mouth fell open. He couldn't believe what had just happened. Ash, by the looks of it, had scored a major babe who – given Gary's past behavior had earned him a first-class brush off. _Damn it, this is going to be harder than I thought, _he rued. Beside him, a jovial Brock was chuckling to himself.

"What are you so happy about?" sneered a disgruntled Gary.

"She sure is something isn't she?" he said comically. "It's hard to believe that she's the same little girl who used to pick fights with Ash. But I'll bet nothing has changed," he added as he watched her cross the yard to her destination.

There was hope! When Ash refused to speak to her she would be venomous! Gary decided to catch a front row seat to the show. He expertly maneuvered himself through the crowd and situated himself on a nearby chair. He deftly grabbed a drink off the tray of a speedy little Mr. Mime and took a swig. _Ahh this is going to be good,_ he relished as he watched the scene unfold.

Ash thought it best to avoid Misty by engaging in conversation with anyone else. He was currently speaking to Tracey Sketchit and was pretending nothing in the world could be more fascinating than chiaroscuro shading. Misty made no effort to be sneaky; after years of not seeing her best friend she wasn't about to be coy.

"Ash!" she exclaimed , vigorously waving her hand back and forth to get his attention. Gary could tell it was taking Ash's every ounce of willpower not to acknowledge her shouts. Instead, he pretended not to hear her and continued to talk to Tracey.

His companion noticed the inconsistency with Ash's behavior. "Ash?" he interrupted the Pokemon Master's empty words. "I think Misty is calling you," he pointed to her approaching form. Ash snuck a desperate look at Gary; _Can I tell him what's going on? _he silently begged. Gary shook his head. _This is between us, Ketchum. _

Ash decided to switch up his tactics. "Uh Tracey!" he said perhaps louder than he normally would have. "I need to - go – help my mom out in the kitchen. We'll - We'll talk more about trompoy later!" he said hurriedly as he dashed off into the house.

"That's Trompe l'oeil," a confused Tracy called after him. Meanwhile, Misty made it to the spot just seconds after her friend disappeared.

"What was that all about?" the outraged water-Pokemon trainer fumed. "Didn't he hear me shout 'Ash' from across the yard?" she put her hands on her hips a made a 'humphing' noise.

"I don't know Misty," replied the soft-spoken Pokemon watcher. "He was acting really funny. He was pretending to actually be interested in my sketches. Maybe he's not well," he suggested, scratching his head.

Misty sighed. "Maybe," the defeated girl began. "I guess I just thought not seeing me for such a long time he'd be a little more excited."

Gary knew to take this as his cue. She was jilted, vulnerable. The perfect prey. He slowly ascended from his seated position and decided to fan the flames a bit more. He made his way over to the pair, meandering slowly so as to not look over anxious. He had no intention of conversing with Misty directly at this point, he merely wanted her to hear what he was saying. He looked for the right bait; ah, there she was! He spotted a woman gossiping very nearby to Misty and Tracey and made a Beedrill line for her.

"Excuse me, Miss," he said offering the unknown woman the drink that he snagged from Mr. Mime. "Would you be interested in taking my drink? I thought it was something else when I grabbed it," he made sure to speak loudly enough that he was sure Misty would hear him, but not so loudly it sounded unnatural.

The effect was immediate. The woman's eyes lit up. "Oh my gosh! You're Gary Oak!" she squealed bringing her hands to her cheeks. If she wanted the drink, she was far too star struck to accept it. "I've read all about you! I'm such a huge fan!" she continued to gush.

"Thanks, it's always nice to someone who appreciates my work," he attempted to sound gracious, but he couldn't help but doubt the fact she was a fan so much as she was merely Rhyhorny. She was very typical of the type of girl that Gary would take home. She was tall and slender, though Gary noticed with much disappointment, pretty much completely flat. Her hair was dark like his Umbreon's fur and traveled all the way down her back. Some of it was pinned up on her head in an ornate hairdo that he suspected had cost a bundle. She wearing an inordinate amount of jewelry too; two bulbous earrings, a long strand of pearls and rings on every finger. Gary had to assume this girl was probably rich. He also suspected she was dumb as a post.

"We have a lot in common," she now said coyly, wrapping a loose lock around her finger. "I read your bio in the April edition of Pokehunks magazine," she clarified upon noticing his quizzical look. "You and I are both Scorpios and love spicy food," she informed him.

Gary didn't even know he was a Scorpio, but he took her word for it. He was sure that the people over at Pokehunks had probably done their research. Not that it really mattered, everything written in that magazine was useless drivel anyway. He didn't know why they even bothered writing articles in the first place. The only reason anyone picked one of them up was to salivate over semi-clothed Pokemon trainers.

"What are the odds?" Gary said in a smooth-as-silk voice, pretending as hard as he could to be interested in what this woman was saying.

"I also read," she said, now averting her eyes. "I heard that you are quite popular with the ladies," she began to laugh shyly. "Is that really true?" she must have been trying to look innocent because she flashed him a pair of Bambi eyes. Gary, in turn, wanted to roll his own. This is how these things always began. _'Oh I heard you're a real player, but that's not true is it?'_ they'd always say, while running a hand up and down his bicep flirtatiously. That false admonishment! Who were they kidding? They wanted him to be a womanizer. It meant they didn't have to go home alone.

"You can't believe everything you read," he laughed as he said it, but it even sounded fake to him. He realized he was losing his train of thought. He coughed a little and raised his voice just a notch louder. "Though I will say, I never knew _Ash Ketchum_ had such game."

The effect was immediate; out of the corner of his eye he could see Misty's head had turned ever so slightly. She was listening.

His statement also seemed to pique the interest of the woman he was talking to. "Really?" she said craning her neck some. "Where is he, now anyway?" she finished when she was unable to find the guest of honor anywhere.

"I just saw him putting the moves on some gorgeous blonde," Gary said casually as if the whole thing were terribly uninteresting. "Who knew, right?" he said shrugging it off.

His dastardly plan had worked; a furious Misty stalked away from Tracey likely to find out if the salacious rumor was true. Gary quickly excused himself in an effort to follow her. The woman, now completely caught up with Ash, didn't seem to mind his hasty retreat and instead turned to a nearby companion to dish about what a hunksicle Ash Ketchum was. Gary, on the other hand, had more important things to worry about. He needed to stop Misty before she actually did find Ash decidedly not putting the moves on the hypothetical blonde.

He could see her walking around the side of the house so he decided to cut her off by walking through. Once inside he caught a peak of Ash sitting in an arm chair, hiding out. _Like a coward, _he couldn't help but note. He dashed by Ash and made it to the side door. He sneaked a peak through the window; indeed Misty was tromping through the grass right on schedule. He pulled open the door, purposely did not look either way and allowed her to plow right in him.

It was a jumble of bodies and limbs. Gary was instantly knocked to the floor and a flailing Misty came tumbling after. Gary's drink, which he now realized was never taken by the woman he offered it to, somersaulted into the air upon impact. In matter of seconds Misty was drenched in the foul smelling liquid. The glass just had time to shatter on a stepping stone when the shouting started.

"WHAT THE HELL?" She immediately vaulted herself off of him to identify her assailant. "Oak? What, is this a habit with you?" she snarled angrily.

"You're the one who ran into me," Gary pointed out getting to his feet. He stopped a moment to examine his handiwork – boy was she pissed! Her porcelain cheeks were flushed, red like a Charmeleon. Her seafoam eyes narrowed into slits and her full lips were pulled back revealing her canines. Not only that but he let his eyes travel down a bit. The white button down that she was wearing trimming was clinging to her in a distinctly flattering manner. The drink added a translucent quality to the material that he was sure she would not be pleased about when she noticed. He gulped.

"Well stop getting in my way," she shot back. She looked down to access the damage done to her shirt. She was horrified. If she walked back out there everyone would think she had just come from a wet T-shirt contest. "Goddamn it, Oak! This is just what I needed," she folded her arms over her chest; her blue Psyduck bra was now visible through the fabric.

Gary tried to stifle a chuckle. Her crossing her arms had brought his attention to it. "Psyduck?" he managed to say before the laughter overtook him. He knew he'd pay dearly for laughing at her expense, but he couldn't help it. In a way he found it almost charming. He was so very tired of the red lace panties and the black leather thongs. It was a refreshing change. He just hoped she had a pair of underwear to match. Maybe a pair with Squirtles too.

"Shut up!" she spat. "This is your fault!"

"Look I'm sorry, I really am," he said still trying to hold his laughter back. "But they're awful cute aren't they?" he continued to stoke the flame. She was just so cute when she was mad.

"Asshole!" she shoved him out of the way. Hard. Gary, stumbled backwards from the force and immediately his laughter ceased. "Like I care what you think," she said over her shoulder before taking off again.

"Hey wait up!" Gary knew he couldn't let her get away now. "Where ya goin'?" he said eagerly, pulling alongside her long, graceful strides.

"Get lost," she replied.

"Hey, come on," he reached a hand out and took a hold of her arm, stopping the fuming red head dead in her tracks. He wasn't sure if she felt it, but all of sudden the heat from her skin sent little thunderbolts through his skin. _Jeez, _he couldn't help but think. _She __**is**__ something else. _If Misty felt the thunderbolts too, she certainly did not show it. Instead she opted for the classic stare down.

"Let. Go." She said it simply, with no emphasis, but Gary could tell she wasn't messing around.

"Listen, I am sorry for the drink thing. If you would just calm down and let me make it up to you – "

"Maybe you didn't hear me," Misty interrupted. "I said, LET GO!" she wrenched her arm away. She was surprised how difficult it was though; he had a very strong grip. Once she had freed herself from his grasp again she made a noise that sounded distinctly like a "humph." She turned again to make an exit.

Gary was too quick though. Years of stalking Pokemon had made him more agile than even he realized. He was blocking her path once again.

"Move," she insisted.

"I was just thinking, you're not going to want to walk back into the party like that," he started to say as he began to peel back his black blazer. Underneath he had purple T-shirt that was form fitting, perhaps overly so. "Why don't you put this on instead?" he said holding the jacket out to her.

Misty eyed the black material wearily. The only thought in her head: _Why the hell is Gary Oak offering to let me wear his clothes?_

"Why are you doing this?" she said it almost accusingly, but Gary could tell her anger was quickly transforming into genuine curiosity.

"Doing what?" he said innocently, his hand still outstretched towards her.

"This." She gestured towards the shirt. "Everything. Acting like we're friends when you've never spoken more than two sentences to me before today? What's your angle?"

"No angle," he lied through his teeth. "Isn't it possible I've matured since then?"

"Unlikely," said a skeptical Misty. Gary couldn't help but somewhat admire her. She was a sharp girl and she was not for one minute taken in by his nice guy routine. This was a challenge indeed. "Judging by way you're described in the paper, it sounds like you're every bit as stuck up as before."

Gary realized this was a jab, but he couldn't help but smile victoriously. "So you've read about me in the paper, have you?"

"Yes," Misty said plainly. "Togepi was housebroken thanks to those articles." Her lips curled into a smirk at the sight of his face falling. It didn't last, of course; Gary's confidence was quick to bounce back.

"C'mon Misty. I know you're dying to know if the rumors are true," feeling bold, he took a step towards her. As kids, they were the same height. Now he towered over her by at least seven or eight inches. This seemed exaggerated when he came closer to her. "I'll tell you if you ask nicely," he was now using his seduction voice. Close contact, smoldering eyes, soft, heated voice. Misty was trapped.

"Okay," she agreed, letting her voice drop as well. "I am curious" she said as she mimicked his mannerisms, her eyelids dropping ever so slightly and her voice taking on a breathy quality. " – Exactly how many STD's do you have?"

It took a moment for Gary to realize what had just happened. He was flabbergasted! No woman had ever resisted the sexy voice before! Misty could tell she had just caught him off guard. "I happen to know for a fact you have Krabbies," she taunted. Gary did in fact have more than one Krabby; Misty knew this from her visit to Professor Oak's lab many a year ago. But of course, he knew what she was driving at.

In one foul swoop she had grabbed the blazer from his flaccid grip and pulled it on over her soaked shirt. "Thanks for this," she said, though it was clearly not sincere. She was obviously still upset about him spilling drink all over her in the first place. She retreated back towards the party without another word.

Gary was left standing like a couldn't help but wonder if for once Ash Ketchum had outsmarted him. _No! _he thought stubbornly. _If Ash Ketchum can score a babe like that, so can I. _He just needed a new strategy.

…

To Be Continued...


	2. Part II

Game  
**Part II**

Misty had returned to the party in a considerably worse mood than she had left it. Luckily for her, no one seemed any the wiser as to why she was in such a foul mood or why she was wearing Gary Oak's blazer. _Gary Oak,_ she thought bitterly. She wasn't even sure he'd known her name before today. In every instance she recalled meeting him he almost exclusively addressed Ash and ignored the fact that she and Brock were even there.

_What is he up to?_ she found herself wondering as she nibbled delicately on a deviled egg she'd picked off a moving tray. She grimaced, catching herself in a thought such as that. She then forced herself to remember that she really didn't care what Gary Oak was doing and allowed her mind to focus on a more pressing issue.

_Where is Ash? _

She ambled her way through the crowds in hopes that he was lurking somewhere among them. Misty caught a lucky break when she noticed him, unsurprisingly, filling up a plate of food by the Articuno ice sculpture. His beloved Pikachu sat atop his shoulder and was inconspicuously sampling morsels off of his master's plate.

Misty grinned. Her encounter with Gary had actually put Ash's alleged philandering out of her mind completely. She couldn't help it. As frustrated as she was with him today, the sight of Ash and Pikachu sent a wave of nostalgia through her body. She couldn't exactly complain about her life now; she was a successful Gym leader, had a wide variety of loyal Pokemon and was even financially well-off due to the success of her sisters' water ballet productions. However, a substantial part of her yearned for the days when she, Ash and Brock would have adventures together. She would have given up her comfy bed in Cerulean City for the hard ground and a sleeping bag any day. She would face every bug-type Pokemon there was if she could be alongside her friends again. She missed the excitement. She missed thrill of seeing a new Pokemon for the first time. She missed the people she used to meet - always interesting with something to teach her. She even missed facing the incredibly persistent (and remarkably incompetent) Jessie, James and Meowth of Team Rocket, without whom, she may never have become friends with Ash in the first place.

_He's not going to get away this time._

Ash had managed to give everyone the slip, or so he thought. It was not so much that Ash didn't enjoy company; on the contrary, he was thrilled so many people had shown up to honor his achievements. It's just that he had been swamped all day with declarations of congratulations, questions about his future and even the occasional cheek pinching! He was just relieved to have some alone time. Well mostly, he was relieved that he'd that he finally have a chance to sample the sumptuous feast in front of him. He licked his lips as he reached for a scrumptious little dumpling. His hand was hovering mere centimeters away when something reached out and grabbed him!

"AGGGGGGH!" He let out a startled shout as he leaped backwards. Pikachu who had been minding its business on the young man's shoulder flew up into the air and let out an equally frightened "Pika!" before unleashing a thunderbolt out of reflex. Pikachu landed safely by Ash's feet and was surprised to find dozens of pairs of eyes on him. The Pokemon became embarrassed when it realized how many people had noticed the little spectacle. Pikachu let out a humbled noise before he turned around to find his human friend had received the brunt of his attack. The Electric Mouse uttered an apologetic "Chu," to which Ash was too shocked (literally) to respond.

Ash was, of course, used to being shocked by Pikachu, so he was able to recover swiftly most of the time. This was one of those times. He was instantly revitalized when he was gripped roughly by the shoulders and spun around to face his attacker.

"Ash!" Misty shook his shoulders a little bit to make sure she had his attention. "It's me, Misty! Your friend, remember?"

Ash was instantly filled with dread. The blood drained from his face completely as he just stared helplessly into her eyes. She didn't really look angry. Of course, she didn't seem very preoccupied with the fact that he just been pumped with 10,000 volts either. Rather she looked confused more than anything and - was that hurt he was sensing as well?

"What's going on with you Ash?" she said releasing his shoulders. "I know we haven't seen each other in a while, but you didn't forget about me," she paused, her voicing sounded like it was on the verge of cracking a little bit. "Did you?"

Ash opened his mouth wanting desperately to say something, but couldn't. He didn't know what to do! As if reading his mind, his most cherished Pokemon seemed to sense his dilemma. It scampered over to Misty, whose eyes were still on Ash, pleading for an explanation.

Pikachu let out a series of noises to express how excited it was to see her again. Besides Ash, Pikachu had known Misty longer than any other human. On their travels it had often come to think of her as a mother and Pikachu would do anything to protect her. Pikachu had always been fiercely loyal to Misty; it outright refused to battle her for the Cascade Badge once!

Pikachu's little proclamations of "Pi, pi, pi!" quickly got her attention. She smiled warmly at the greeting from her old friend and bent down for an embrace. Misty held out her arms and Pikachu responded in turn. It eagerly leapt into her arms and snuggled affectionately into her chest.

"Oh Pikachu, it's good to see you too!" she hugged the little Pokemon tighter. "See that Ash, even Pikachu - " she began, but was cut off when she looked up.

He was gone. He had completely vanished in seconds. Misty frowned as she noticed the plate he had been filling up was lying abandoned at the site. She shifted uncomfortably as she realized the implications of what had just happened. He wanted so badly to be away from her that he even left a heaping plate of food, his first love, second only to Pokemon. She looked down at the little Electric Pokemon that was nuzzling her neck tenderly. "Oh well," she said sadly as she rubbed its head. "At least you're happy to see me, right?"

"That was cold," a voice behind her said. Misty felt her sadness instantly trickle away; suddenly it was replaced with a newfound annoyance. She let the Pikachu go as she stood to face the source of her exasperation. As she met the young man's eyes she mustered an icy glare, followed closely by demeanor.

"Stop. Following. Me." Misty hoped that by speaking each word slowly and loudly Gary Oak might finally get the message.

"I'm not," said the not-so-innocent Pokemon researcher. "I'm following that," he said gesturing to his black blazer, that he was surprised to say, seemed to fit her exceedingly well. "It's very expensive and I wouldn't want anything to happen to it, if you know what I mean."

Misty grimaced at the obvious façade. _If it's so important to you, why did you give it to me in the first place?_

"Fine," said the agitated red head. "If you miss it _so_ much," her hands flew up the lapels and she began to pull it off her shoulders.

"Hey, hey, hey!" He said cautioning her to stop. "Remember Psyduck?"

Misty froze. She rued the day she ever bought the damn thing. She never thought she would wear it out; for years she had only worn it when lounging or sleeping. But she was about two days away from doing her laundry and the Psyduck bra was the only thing she had left. It was a choice between being a few hours late with a beautiful, adult bra or arriving on time with the Psyduck bra. She figured, since she hadn't seen Ash in literally years, the latter would be better. Seeing as Ash was avoiding her like the Black Plague, Misty was beginning to seriously wonder if she had made the right choice.

She exhaled sharply and let the lapels go. "So what?" she said irately. "You're just going to follow me around until my shirt dries?"

"I wouldn't say it like _that_," Gary said sweetly. "Just think of it as two old friends enjoying a party together for a specified length of time."

Misty rolled her eyes at him in an over the top manner. "You and I have never been friends. You can't be old friends without ever having been friends in the first place," she pointed out.

"Well then," Gary was quick on his feet. "How about two new friends enjoying a party together for a specified length of time?"

Misty merely grimaced at the very suggestion. "You and I will never be friends either," she said simply. Misty realized it sounded harsh. But what exactly was she supposed to do? Become best friends with Gary Oak because they exchanged a few pleasantries at a party? Please.

"Now if that's all, I'll be going now," she turned to make her exit. She realized this was probably a futile effort, but she figured ought to at least try to shake the insufferable chatter of Gary Oak. She disappointed to find she was, indeed, correct; as soon as she began to walk away Gary was in tow like an obedient Growlithe.

"Why the close-mindedness?" he said chasing after her. "It seems to me like you could use some new friends these days," he said making an obvious reference Ash.

Misty stopped suddenly and turned to the persistent man behind her. "Gee Gary, I have no idea. What could have brought on this sudden distaste for you?" Misty's words were so potent that Gary could almost feel the sarcasm drip from them. "You mean besides the fact that you have never spoken a word to me directly? Or the fact that we have _nothing_ in common? Or perhaps the fact that you used to torment my best friend every chance you had!"

"Aww, come on Misty, we're adults now. Can't we forget those little childhood squabbles?" he shrugged his shoulders to further emphasize the insignificance of his boyhood teasing. "Besides I can't help but remember you taking a few pokes at him yourself," he observed.

Misty opened her mouth, but no retort came. She couldn't deny he was right. In their younger days she had a hard time resisting the urge to tease Ash. In fact, at times, she could be downright hostile to him. But she only did it because – because back then she didn't want him finding out how she felt.

"See!" exclaimed a jubilant Gary. "We _do_ have something in common. We _can _be friends," he said nudging her suggestively and winking as he did so.

"That – that's not the same thing," Misty finally found her voice, albeit, she had lost some of her gusto. It was difficult to deny that Gary could be almost charming when he wanted to be. "Ash and I were friends. Friends tease each other," she reasoned.

"Well Ash and I are friends too! Doesn't mean I can't push the occasional button now and then, right?" he said good naturedly.

"Whatever, Gary," her tone had gone flat and he could tell she was just about at the end of her rope with him. He could also tell by the way she didn't exactly answer the question that there had been some validity to his words. And the competitor in him could not resist letting her know.

"Aha! I knew it!" he boasted.

"This is an idiotic conversation" Misty was not about to admit he was right. She was obviously beaten and was decidedly out of patience. She made her way towards the gate at the east end of the yard in hopes of making a graceful departure. If she stuck around much longer she was sure Gary was going to end up in the papers tomorrow – in the obituary section.

"Where ya goin'?" he casually called after her.

"I'm taking a walk to clear my head," she informed him as she slammed the gate shut in a manner far more telling than her words alone. She turned sharply in the direction of the road and took off. However, she only got a few paces before her thoughts were once again directed to Gary Oak.

"Do you mind if I come?" He had easily hopped over the fence to join her on the other side and now he had been power walking to catch up with her. Her quickened stride came to halt upon hearing his seemingly innocuous request. She turned her head slowly, her narrowed sea foam-colored eyes asking the question, _what do you think?_

"Yes. Yes I do," she said as she turned from him again and began to make her way back towards the street. She noticed the sound of shoes in the grass next to her and was dismayed to find he was still following her even after she explicitly stated she'd prefer to be alone.

"What?" he asked upon noticing her openly glowering at him. "I asked if you minded, I didn't ask your permission."

"Oh I'm sorry!" Misty said with faux repentance, putting her hand to her heart accentuate the point. "I guess I just assumed the fact that you asked must have meant you intended to give some consideration to the answer," she finished, her hands now on her hips in a distinctly _I'm right and you're wrong _manner.

"Oh I did! But sometimes people just don't know what's best for them," he said shaking his head sadly. He was, of course, not being serious but he could tell his words were going to get a rise out of Misty, which was exactly what he wanted.

"And I suppose you do?" It was working; he could sense she might be on the verge of losing her temper again. The fact that he could get under her skin like that indicated to him she cared about what he was saying on some level. If she were apathetic to his jabs, then he'd be more concerned.

"Well, now that you mention it, yeah," he said sounding a little more pompous than he meant to. Misty stopped to look at him in disbelief.

"I see," her voice was tight as she said this trying to keep a cool head but failing miserably. "And what exactly do I need?"

"You need," he said as he clapped her shoulder amicably. "Someone to confide in. Surely you can't be angry _all _the time. There's got to be some other feelings in there you want to get out," he said giving her light shake, rattling around all those metaphorical emotions inside her. He gave a weak laugh as he did so but saw that Misty was not nearly as entertained by the ideas he was. He quickly released her because she was now glaring daggers at him.

"No. Thank you," the actual words were polite but her tone was anything but. She might as well have been saying, "Fuck you" the way she said it.

"Suit yourself," Gary said casually. As an afterthought, he mumbled something under his breath that Misty couldn't quite hear.

"What was that?" she snapped at him angrily.

"Nothing!" He said defensively. "I just - I just think you ought to reconsider. I happen to be a researcher and a studier of behavioral habits. I think I know what I'm talking about." Again, he was pretty sure he came off more arrogant than he meant to. However, he couldn't deny that seeing Misty blow her top was not only down right entertaining but also a bit of a turn on as well.

"You think because you watch Pokemon all day that it qualifies you to make judgments about human behavior?" Misty rebuked.

"Somewhat. For instance, you, Misty, exhibit the same qualities as a rather tempestuous Charizard I know," he enlightened her. "She's really a beautiful creature. Very solitary and graceful, just like you. She mostly keeps to herself. But has she got a temper on her. She becomes violent when she feels she is threatened. Just. Like. You." For added emphasis he gave her three sharp pokes in the arm to really accentuate the last few words.

Lucky for Gary he was on guard; after the final poke Misty took a swing at him but he was fast enough to avoid any contact. He was surprised when she didn't pursue, but merely looked at him hatefully.

"So, now you think you know me, do you?" she challenged, folding her arms in an unmistakably threatening manner.

Gary was not intimidated by this gesture. "I think I've got a pretty good idea," he said confidently mirroring her movement to demonstrate his fearlessness.

"Really?" Misty asked incredulously. The first thoughts that sprung to mind were outraged: _The nerve of this guy! How dare he waltz about pretending to know my life? He thinks because he's some big shot that he can tell other people how to live! He doesn't know me – he doesn't know the first thing about me! Where does he get off!_

But Misty found that another small voice had interrupted her furious musings. _But what exactly does he think he knows? _Misty found it difficult to admit, but she couldn't help but wonder what this arrogant young man had gathered about her after such a brief conversation.

"Well let's hear it!" Misty egged him on, still affronted by his brash assertion that he knew her better than she knew herself. "I'm dying to know what you've discovered after a few minutes that I don't know after twenty years," she said vehemently.

"You know what, Misty? I will," he leaned down a little to make sure he had her attention. "I think you put on a real good show. I think this hotheaded, stubborn, easily angered woman is merely a device you use to cope with something bigger."

Misty grit her teeth and turned her head away. "You don't know anything," she insisted stubbornly.

"The truth is Misty, you're incomplete." That got her! Her stare was fixed on him again, fury flashing dangerously in those two luminous orbs. Her jaw dropped, unable to voice the many outraged thoughts running through her head.

"Yes, I said it! Incomplete. There's a hole in your life that you're desperately trying to fill. That's why you get mad, Misty. It's to cover up the fact that you are missing something in your life. I think you've been waiting for _something_ for a long time. I think you've been caught up with this _something_ for near ten years. And I think you need to wake up and realize this _something _is never going to happen!"

He, of course, realized the irony of what he was saying. Truthfully, he was openly lying to Misty. Her wait for Ash had not been in vain at all. However, Gary could not deny that Misty's obvious childhood fixation on Ash was the one thing that was separating him from victory. If he could just shake her confidence in Ash the littlest bit, Gary would have a clear shot at her.

And yet, Gary felt eerily uncomfortable as soon as the words left his mouth. It was the look she gave him after he said them. Misty's anger had vanished almost instantly. She now looked defeated – that was the only word he could use for it. Her eyes focused somewhere in the distance as she bit her lip – was she was holding something in? He realized he was voicing something that she had probably been telling herself for years. Hearing it from someone else (an acquaintance no less) probably served to confirm the verity of those thoughts.

"I just mean, ten years is a long time – if it hasn't happened now – " he tried to rectify what he had done, but he noted the feeble turn his words had taken and could not continue.

He reached a hand towards her shoulder which refocused her attention on him. "But maybe that's okay," He said giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Maybe there's a better _something_ right under your nose."

"If you're referring to yourself, Gary Oak, forgive me if I disagree." She did not wrench himself from his grasp, but merely turned on heel to continue walking again. All things considered it was probably one of the more favorable ways she could have reacted. Perhaps he had not screwed up as horribly as he thought.

"Why not?" he was able to catch up to her easily. "Haven't you heard it's good to try new things?"

"Ah, but you are not a new thing Gary – you're an old one." Though curt, her words did not quite contain the zeal they had before. She had significantly mellowed since his mention of Ash, since the mention of incompleteness. Gary wasn't sure though if this was good or bad. It was good for him but he was almost feeling guilty for his behavior. He never would have thought he'd stoop so low as to fight dirty and openly lie. Especially not for a bet that seemed so easy.

"Didn't we just establish that we can't be "old anything"? " he reminded her.

"There's no we. Only you and me," she said it firmly but not cruelly. "And you, you are old news, Gary Oak."

Gary frowned a little at these words. Damn_, _she was quick. Gary couldn't help but feel respect for her. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to judge a book by its cover?" he countered, equally as quick.

Misty stopped again. This was becoming a pattern. Every time Gary said something just a little too personal or a little too provocative, Misty would stop dead in her tracks. But this time he wasn't quite sure what he had said. It was a harmless idiom, right?

"No," Misty said solemnly, not looking at him. "She never got the chance to."

Gary wasn't sure what to make of this. Was this her way of making him feel guilty for prodding – if so it was working terribly well; he felt like a world class douchebag. He couldn't help but wonder if maybe this was Misty's subconscious way of inviting him into her world. Maybe she was acknowledging she really _did _need someone to confide in. After all, she could have let it go and they could have merely continued their empty banter until she finally decided to smack him. She chose to make it personal. Gary figured he'd best reply in turn.

"Oh," he said quietly. "I'm sorry." The space was filled with an awkward silence. He was at a loss now. He didn't normally have to console women. Usually they needed consolation _after_ an experience with him (not that he prided himself on this fact).

"I - I didn't mean to – " he tried again, but was swiftly cut off.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, nobody ever means to." Misty sounded like she had heard it all before. She probably had. "It's fine, I'm over it," she shrugged her shoulders and continued walking again.

"No you're not," Gary could tell what she was doing. She was trying to play it off as though it wasn't a big deal – she already was regretting that she had allowed for the conversation to turn personal. But he had no intention of letting her off so easily. "No wonder you've got an emptiness inside you."

"Oh enough of your psycho babble, all right?" She placed a hand to her temple in frustration. "Stop pretending that this changes anything. It doesn't!" she gave him a very pointed look to emphasize the fact. "You're still a pompous, arrogant jackass and I'm still as repelled by you as I was before." She tried her best to sound vehement, but she merely came off as exasperated. She must have been tired of arguing with him at this point.

Gary let the air go quiet for a moment. The two continued walking in silence and Gary chanced to look at his companion. Indeed, she looked tired. Her eyelids were low, her shoulders slumped forward and he could just make out the beginnings of dark circles under her eyes. This hadn't happened just from an exhausting conversation; she had been tired for a long time.

"You know," Gary said casually, finally interrupting the quiet. "Magnets of the same charge are repelled by each other." He looked at her to gage her reaction. It was just as he expected; her brow furrowed and she looked at him like he'd grown a second head.

"What?"

"I'm merely commenting on how alike we are," Gary continued quietly. He wasn't sure if this was the way to go, but clearly his seduction tactics had fallen on deaf ears so he might as well try a different approach.

"Wha – What are you saying?" said the slightly befuddled Misty.

"My parents are gone too, Misty." Things were getting sentimental now – a direction Gary wasn't used to taking. Sharing sentiment was a hop, skip and a jump away from the snare commonly referred the relationship. Mew knows how dangerous that was! Gary had the unfortunate experience of getting involved with a few emotionally needy women in his day. All he needed to do was spend one night with one of these ladies and they'd be prattling on, saying such things as _I thought you loved me _and _I can't wait for you to meet my parents! _

"Oh." It was obvious she didn't know how to respond to this either. He noticed the way she shifted uneasily beside him that she was at a loss for words too. He decided to let her off the hook.

"See," Gary said, nudging her arm gently. "That's another thing we have in common. Maybe this friend thing can work out after all," he said trying to lighten to mood. He glanced her way and noticed that Misty had smiled the tiniest bit. He knew she probably didn't mean to but perhaps he was winning her over after all.

Gary deliberated the fact that he had spent much of his young adult life avoiding any type of emotion in relationships. And yet, right now, somehow he didn't think he'd mind it so much with Misty. She on the other hand seemed to have other ideas.

"Well, nice chatting with you," she said dully as she opened the gate that lead into the Ketchum's garden.

By now they had completed a semi-circular track, arriving at the southwest gate just as the conversation had hit an awkward spot. As much as Misty appreciated the attempt at commiserating, her parents were not something she liked to discuss with anyone, let alone Gary Oak. She figured it was best to end the conversation now before he began getting on her nerves again.

Gary was thrown for a loop. He had hoped the fact that he'd gotten her to open up maybe meant she was beginning to see him as less of a nuisance. "Uh," he floundered as he watched her turn back around towards him. "Perhaps we could do it again sometime over dinner?" he said a little louder than he meant to; he didn't want her to get away while she was still in such a receptive mood.

She merely shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Why not?" he grabbed the edge of the fence and leaned forward. He realized he might have sounded a little desperate, a quality that he was most unfamiliar with. He couldn't just let her get away so she could build up all her walls again.

"Look I told you before, this doesn't change anything," she stated matter-of-factly. "Just because we both don't have parents doesn't mean we shared some spiritual connection, okay?"

"Hey I was never proposing anything so cheesy!" he shot back. "I just thought maybe it'd be nice for you to talk to someone about it who – "

"I don't want to talk about it! Not with you. Not with anyone," he could tell that she becoming angry again and decided to back off. He realized he was riding a very thin line when it came to Misty and he had to be really careful not to alienate her.

"Okay, okay. We don't have to talk about it. Fine," he said attempting to placate her. "Maybe we could just talk about something else?" he suggested amiably.

She inhaled visibly and let her shoulders fall. "I'm going inside now," she said plainly. "And I'd really prefer if you didn't follow me, okay?"

"Well all right," he agreed, still behind the fence in order to keep out slap range. He knew this was the best course of action. Aggravating Misty only did so much. Maybe it was best if he left her alone to ruminate on the idea of him. He didn't want her to thinking he was giving up though! "But you still have my blazer. So I'll be back," he assured.

"Why don't you run along now?" Just before she disappeared, Gary thought he saw a glimmer of a smile.

The young man sighed as he leaned up against a nearby tree. The sexy, seductive Gary hadn't gotten him anywhere. The psychoanalytical Gary hadn't made much progress either. The sentimental, caring Gary had the briefest of triumphs but was working a snail's pace. If he really wanted to win this bet, he was going to need to do something drastic.

He knew exactly what to do.

…

"Ash!"

The young Pokemon master must have leapt five feet in the air at the sound of his own name. He had been tense all day. The thought of Misty sneaking up on him, demanding an explanation and reaming him out in front of his friends and family was slowly taking a toll on him. He had scarcely had a decent conversation with anyone all day. He kept looking over his shoulder, peeking around corners and jumping at the sound of a twig snapping. He was, quite simply, a mess.

"Oh Brock, it's just you," Ash was immediately calmed when he recognized the assailant as his old friend, the Pewter City gym leader. He put a hand on his chest to steady his breathing. "You scared me," he clarified, on the receiving end of a quizzical look from Brock.

"What's the matter with you, Ash?" his concerned friend put a hand on his shoulder. You look like hell," the Pokemon breeder observed shrewdly.

Ash laughed nervously. He was never very good at telling lies. "I – I guess I'm just a little on edge, that's all" he said cryptically. Ash tugged at his collar; was it getting hot outside all of a sudden? He looked down and noticed his palms were beginning to sweat too.

"Are - are you sure you're all right, Ash?" Brock gave him a dubious look; it was obvious he had misgivings about Ash's truthfulness. If he didn't believe his younger friend though, he didn't explicitly say so.

"Yeah, yeah fine!" Ash said waving him off. His mind raced furiously as he tried to think of a way to change the topic. Brock was just about to open his mouth for a rebuttal but Ash quickly cut in.

"Hey!" Ash said rather loudly, making some guests around him jump. Ash awkwardly scratched the back of his neck and realized he was losing his cool. _Easy Ketchum, you can do this. Just a few more hours to go_. Once calmed he readdressed his taller companion. "Listen, have you seen Misty around lately?" he tried to seem casual about the whole thing. The truth was he was dying to know about Gary's progress or lack thereof.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I have. I think I saw her leave with Gary a little while ago," he said it almost as question, because he still wasn't sure the situation had even happened. Brock remembered thinking how strange it was. He had just been rejected for a date by another beautiful woman when he noticed Misty across the lawn talking to Gary. She began to walk away, but the young Oak followed her into the front yard. Brock wasn't quite sure what make of it at the time, but he now had a feeling it had to do with Ash.

"Gary?" the now enraged Pokemon Master exclaimed. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Brock confirmed. "I thought it was weird," Brock said stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"Well – well - well what was she doing with him?" the Pokemon Master demanded to know. He noticed the anxiety showing in his voice. _Oh no_, Ash found himself thinking. _Am I sweating again? Keep it together Ketchum, keep it together. _

"I -I don't know," Brock shrugged his shoulders. "It looked to me like they were just talking. And then she walked away and he followed her," he explained plainly. "It was all pretty uneventful Ash," reassured the younger man.

Ash did not seem at all satisfied by this answer. "Well how did she look?" Ash persisted. "Was she happy or upset or what?"

"Geez Ash! I don't know," Brock was becoming frustrated with his friend. If Ash was so concerned with what Misty was doing why didn't he just ask her himself? "What does it matter?" Brock pointed out. "You're not even talking to her!"

Ash suddenly looked humbled. "H-h-how do you know about that?"

"Ash, come on," Brock softened a little. "Everyone knows about that. Besides the fact that Tracy has been asking why you ran away from her, I saw you bolt when she tried to talk to her before." The Pokemon breeder crossed his arms. "Let's face it, you've been acting like a crazy person all day. What's going on with you?"

Ash sighed. _So much for discretion, _Ash rued. "Look Brock, I'd tell you if I could."

"Ash," Brock said somewhat disapprovingly. "Did you go and do something stupid again?"

Ash unconsciously bit his lip. "I might have, Brock. I might have…"

Ash was beginning to get worried. Could Gary actually pull this off? Could he really trick Misty into believing his special brand of Gary Oak bullshit? Ash wasn't sure, but he was beginning to feel physically ill. This was all he needed. He couldn't help but languish in the irony of it all. His greatest rival, who had beaten him to every milestone, stealing the only woman Ash had ever had real feelings for. And the worst part was this was all Ash's doing. If he hadn't been so pig headed, trying to one up Gary, this wouldn't be happening and he and Misty would be together finally.

As if on cue, Misty wandered through the back door decidedly Gary-less. Ash was relieved to note she did not look particularly happy which he found himself rather selfishly enjoying. It's not that he wanted her to be unhappy, but perhaps it meant that Gary had been less than successful in trying to woo her. As she made her way towards the buffet and Ash visibly relaxed. Gary was nowhere in sight.

He allowed himself a last look at her before reverting back to his covert operation. He weaved his way through the crowds so she wouldn't spot him until this miserable day was over.

Meanwhile, the frustrated young woman decided give herself sometime to think. She found herself lost in thought as she arbitrarily picked up items from the buffet. She found herself unsurprisingly melancholy; it was not often she thought about her parents. It was even rarer that someone brought them up. She found herself wondering if perhaps Gary Oak had had a rare moment of humility and was actually trying to help her. She then reminded herself that even if he had, he was still a pompous windbag and she had no interest in spilling her guts to him.

_It might be nice to talk about it with someone,_ said a voice in Misty's head. _Someone who actually can relate for once. Someone who can actually say, "I understand." _Misty found herself rolling her eyes as her more sensible side kicked in. _You're forgetting, _she reminded her other half. _This is a person who is as selfish as the day is long. Even if he knew what I went through, he couldn't possibly make me feel better about it anyway._

_But people can change can't they? _The other side voiced. _Just look at your friend, Ash._

Misty was now even becoming frustrated with herself. It was times like these that she wished she could just focus on something like swimming or training. She needed an activity to take her mind off of these ridiculous thoughts. She recalled how much she hated that moment before she went to sleep when was left to her own devices, haunted by the incessant nagging of her own thoughts. It was unbearable at times and one of the causes she attributed to her insomnia.

Her eyes drifted across the yard and fell on the statuesque fountain, still spurting water majestically into the air. A small smile flickered across her features when she noticed the water-Pokemon were still lazily splashing about. A Vaporeon and a Poliwag seemed to be playing some sort of game of tag while a Seel and Dewgong were stretched out while enjoying the sun. Misty thought this might be just the thing to take her out of her funk.

As she reached the fountain, she gently put her plate on the edge and released her own Pokemon into the water. Her Horsea gurgled happily and Goldeen let out a deep appreciative "Goldeen!" Goldeen was quickly invited into the game of tag and Horsea was content on swimming laps around the shallow pool. Misty was just beginning to enjoy herself for once when she heard a familiar buzzing in her ear.

"I have a proposal for you Waterflower."

Misty did not even need to lift her hear to know who it was. "What is it now?" she huffed.

"If you can beat me in a Pokemon match, I'll leave you alone for the rest of the party." Misty ears perked up at the very words. She had to admit she liked the idea of to a night that did not involve Gary Oak crashing into her at every turn. She finally looked at him to gage the seriousness of his proposition. He nodded his head to signal she had heard correctly.

She couldn't help but note that this was already sounding like a pretty good deal. "You can keep my blazer too, it's Silph & Company. You could probably get a lot of money for it." Misty's fingers subconscious fondled the material on the cuffs; it was silky and soft like Jigglypuff's body.

"Okay," Misty said slowly, in the back of her mind knowing there was a catch. "And what if you win?"

"If I win, I want a kiss."

_I want a kiss. _

Misty was not sure any four words had ever stunned her so much (though she could think of a few phrases that came pretty close). She visibly gawked at him. Her mouth was agape as she started disbelievingly at him. He knew full well she was probably going to have a violent reaction to his proposal; the first words she managed to get out were quite audible and dare he say somewhat shrill.

"What? Why!" she practically shrieked, more out of shock than rage.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," his voice had a trace amount of deviousness to it that made Misty uncomfortable. She was certain she found herself in the middle of some game; where else had this sudden interest come from?

"No way!" she balked. She made a move to get up but was stopped by his hand on her wrist. She scowled at his touch, but remained seated in spite of it.

"Why not?" he asked innocently. "It's just a kiss." Gary Oak knew all he needed to do was kiss Misty Waterflower and she would be powerless. No woman had ever resisted a Gary kiss. Of course, he realized, getting to that point was where the strategy came into play. That's when he decided to appeal to her cutthroat attitude when it came to competition. Misty would not back down from a challenge, especially when she thought she would finally be rid of his irksome hovering. But Gary was assured he wasn't going to lose this battle.

"What, is it your life goal to get with every woman in Kanto?" she said irately, as if this fact bothered her slightly. She exhaled loudly causing a stray strand of her crimson hair to fall onto her face.

"Only the most beautiful," he said slyly, scooting towards her just the littlest bit. He reached a hand up to brush the terracotta curl out of her eyes and behind her ear. He let his hand linger just a moment too long.

"Does that line actually work on anyone?" she asked skeptically turning her head away from him. A slight blush had begun to creep across the apples of her cheeks that she didn't want him to see. It's not that his charm was beginning to get to her, but Misty acknowledged it had been a long time since she had felt the brush of someone else's touch on her face. It felt uncomfortably good and she'd rather he didn't know that.

"Usually, but then again," he decided to appeal to another side of Misty. The part that he was sure she was most proud of. "Most girls aren't as sharp as you Misty." The finger on ear not-so-accidentally slipped down to her jaw line and from there her neck. Misty felt her insides squirm all over. _What is he doing to me?_

"Stop that!" she said as she finally returned to her senses. She batted away his hand and scooted away from him. "I'm not going to kiss you. Not now, not ever," she insisted, thrusting her nose in the air.

"What's one little kiss?" he emphasized little by holding up his index finger and thumb. "Come now, you're not worried you'd actually like it are you?"

Misty looked at him sharply. "No I am not!"

Dear God, he was annoying. _Maybe it would be worth it, _Misty mused silently. She had no idea why he was pestering her so much today, but she was tired of it for whatever reason. Besides Misty was pretty sure that in terms of battling, Gary was out of the game years ago; she had an excellent shot of winning. _And if I lose? _Misty's other voice wondered. _Well, it's only a kiss. _

"Just one kiss?" she made it sound like she was clarifying, but Gary could tell this meant he had her. He scooted back her way and chanced to graze her shoulder with his own.

"Unless you beg for more," his velvety tenor whispered smoothly. His breath was hot on her shoulder now. Misty stiffened visibly.

"Damn it, Oak!" she cursed aloud, startling him and causing him to leap back. "Will you _please _stop doing that?" she said menacingly.

"Stop doing what?" He was pretending to be naïve, but he knew exactly what he was doing to her. He was setting her up. Establishing physical contact with her was essential to his vice. When that kiss came, she would be like putty in his masterful hands.

"You know what I mean!" Misty reprimanded. "Stop touching me and acting so weird!" she threw her hands in the air to emphasize her discontentment.

Gary smiled mischievously. As he had discovered earlier, being on the receiving end of Misty's rage was a good thing. She wasn't as mad at him as she was at herself. She was caving, just the littlest bit and it wouldn't be long before the rock slide.

"All right, all right," he said as he tried to calm her down. "I won't touch you again unless I win, okay?" he asked sweetly.

Misty eyed him wearily. Something about this stunk the high heavens.

_He's up to no good. _

"Fine," Misty conceded. "You've got a deal."

"Okay," Gary said agreeably as he plucked a champagne glass from Machop's passing tray. "What do you say we make this a real spectacle, huh?" he was on his feet before Misty even knew what was happening.

"Wait – what?" the startled water-Pokemon trainer asked. She was under the impression this was going to be a low-brow battle; maybe they'd take it into the front yard and ask one or two people to watch. She had no idea he meant for the entire party to become an audience to her humiliation.

"Gary!" she whispered urgently, grabbing his elbow. "What are you _doing_?"

If he heard her, he did not acknowledge her. He was now standing on the rim of the fountain, elevated and holding the glass of champagne high in the air.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention if you please!" Gary gently rapped the crystal with his fork to focus everyone's attention. "You are all in for a very special treat!" he assured them as a lull washed over the crowd. "In recognition of our host, the Incomparable Ash Ketchum," Gary said with a hint of irony that he severely doubted anyone would notice. "We are going to have an unforgettable Pokemon match in his honor."

Gary scanned the crowds for the elusive Pokemon Master. "We would be most humbled if he would agree to referee a match between his oldest rival," he gestured to himself. "And his very first traveling companion, the lovely and talented Misty Waterflower," he gestured towards her. Misty had not been expecting it, but the other party goers broke into applause at the sound of her name. Her cheeks flushed; it was kind of flattering.

"Now where is that strapping young lad we've heard so much about?" Gary asked the crowd, knowing that if he wasn't hiding out in the house still, he was likely trying desperately to blend into the crowd. Gary knew Ash wouldn't want to be anywhere near a situation where Misty could confront him. "Come on now Ash!" Gary coaxed. "Don't be shy! Who better to judge a match such as this?"

"Here he is!" someone in the audience supplied as the pushed him forward. Ash, as Gary expected, looked as though he wished to be anywhere else. The Pokemon Master chanced to look at the Cerulean Gym Leader to determine her level of anger towards him. She met his gaze with a hard stare – both angry and hurt. He could almost hear her voice in his head now. _Why have you been avoiding me all day Ash? I thought we were friends._

"There he is, everybody!" Gary boomed, waving enthusiastically as he did so. "Let him hear it!" he encouraged Ash's friends and family. The sea of voices chorused loudly over Gary's own. A steady rhythm of "Ash, Ash, Ash" began swelling. Upon the climax they all burst into applause as Ash approached sidelines of the "arena" (merely an open stretch of land that had been previously occupied by the fraternizing party guests).

"All right, Ashy-boy. Whenever you're ready," Gary stretched his arm out in effort to communicate 'All yours'. He, of course, was grinning madly as he did so which made Ash nervous. Gary had something up his sleeve. He didn't know exactly why Gary and Misty were having a match, but he had a sneaking suspicion that the outcome would have somehow affect the bet he had going with Gary.

He was really beginning to lament the deal he had made with Gary. Seeing Misty desperately try to communicate with him and being powerless to reciprocate was torturous. It struck a sour note with Ash. The whole deal was rotten. Just like Gary's intentions. Ash couldn't help but wonder if Gary ever had any real feelings for someone. If he did he would have known how agonizing it was to be apart from them, particularly for as long as Ash and Misty had been. But Ash dismissed that thought immediately. Gary truly caring for someone was as a ridiculous notion. Nearly as ridiculous as every Team Rocket scheme for capturing Pikachu.

"All right," said the unsettled Ash. "We'll have a one on one battle. No time limit. Do the challengers agree on these terms?" his glance bouncing back and forth between the two.

Misty clenched her fist slightly. _This is the first thing you've said to me today,_ she thought ruefully. But she wasn't here to make a scene. She grit her teeth and gave the most curt of head nods to affirm her acquiescence. Across from her, a delighted Gary Oak mirrored her movement to show that he too understood the rules.

"Okay then, let the battle begin!" Ash called, but he could barely be heard over the shouts and cheers of the crowd. They hadn't known upon their arrival that they were going to a get to see a live Pokemon battle with the fabulous and talented Gary Oak, let alone the mighty leader of the Cerulean City Gym.

"Ladies first," Gary offered her, as he took a small bow.

"Very well," Misty agreed, Pokeball already in hand. She held it close to her mouth and gave it light kiss for luck. "Don't let me down," she whispered to the creature inside. "Go Golduck," she shouted as she let the ball fly. It opened and in flash of red the Pokemon was released. There it stood, a little over five feet tall; the sheen of its sapphire skin was dazzling. Misty's Psyduck had finally evolved and truly she considered it her most loyal Pokemon. Even when she had spurned its love and affection it continued to stay by her side. And now that it had evolved it was a master of obedience. It hadn't changed completely though; it was still a bit absent minded and goofy off the clock.

"Interesting choice," Gary noted. "I considered an Electric type or a Grass type for you, but let's shake things up!" He too pulled his choice pokeball from his belt and pressed his lips to the surface. "Umbreon! I choose you!" An equally stunning Pokemon burst into existence. Umbreon's shiny black coat glistened in the glow of the setting sun; it would be dark soon and Umbreon would be even stronger. Misty examined her opponent's Pokemon with wonder. She had known it when it was still just an Eevee, but even then it was fierce. Sometime later she'd even seen it take on an Alakazam! She remarked at how beautiful it looked now and how Gary must have taken exceptionally good care of it. Misty anticipated it would be tough to beat.

"All right Oak, you want a battle? Here we go! Golduck, start off with Bubblebeam!" The Pokemon nodded its pronged head and geared up the attack. Bubbles burst from its mouth a moment later, spiraling in Umbreon's direction. Spectators cheered as the agile animal dodged Golduck's attack; it twisted in mid-air and landed on its feet.

"Nice work Umbreon!" Gary encouraged. "Show that Golduck your Faint Attack!" Gary commanded. Umbreon's dark red eyes began to glow as it began the attack. The Pokemon took on a radiant light as it prepared to unleash its dark assault.

Misty bit her lip. She was surprised Gary was using such a powerful move at the beginning of a match. He was probably going to try to weaken her Golduck early. Some trainers began battles with a knock out move and watched their opponent feebly struggle for the rest of the match before delivering the final blow.

At this rate, Gary might actually succeed; Faint Attack never missed – well almost never! "Quick Golduck, Dive into that fountain!" she commanded knowing that the fail safe move could not touch her Golduck underwater. Golduck leaped up on its powerful hind legs and dove head first into the fountain. Umbreon let loose a wave of dark energy that passed over the fountain breaking the stone tail of Charmander and one of Squirtle's arms. Chunks of stone flew into the air as the onlookers desperately shielded themselves from the oncoming debris. Neither competitor even noticed the wreckage, both too intent on winning.

Misty was relentless. "All right Golduck!" She clenched her fist, a grin forming on her lips "Now show it some real power! Use Surf!" The crowd went wild seeing the fountain erupt. Water shot up into a wave with Golduck casually riding on top. With nowhere to go Umbreon was swept up with the rest of the water and carried across the yard. Golduck wearily scanned for his enemy as the water drained away. There stood Gary's Umbreon proudly, wet, but mostly unharmed from the attack. The Pokemon vigorously shook its entire body and let out of victory call.

"Not too shabby, eh Misty?" taunted Gary. "Okay Umbreon, Quick Attack now!" Golduck didn't even have a chance to react; Umbreon smashed head first into the water Pokemon, sending it sprawling backwards with a cloud of dirt in its trail.

"Come on Golduck, get up!" Misty encouraged. At the sound of her voice, Golduck quickly recovered and was back on its feet. "That's right, Golduck. Show 'em your Fury Swipes!" Golduck flashed its talons at the dark-type Pokemon and charged forward.

"Umbreon, Agility!" Golduck reared back to strike Umbreon when it vanished without a trace. The confused creature's head bobbled back and forth as it continued to search. It turned towards its trainer and uttered a perplexed, "Golduck?" Just then Umbreon appeared behind it.

"Golduck behind you!" Misty called from the sidelines. Golduck speedily pivoted and brought down a claw across Umbreon's face before anyone even knew what was happening. The Pokemon was knocked backwards by the force of the swipe.

"Your Umbreon isn't the only one who's fast around here," boasted Misty.

"Oh yeah?" Gary Oak said. "Let's see your Golduck do this! Umbreon, Moonlight now!" The Umbreon gazed upwards and saw the sun had nearly disappeared over the horizon. Above it, a perfectly round full moon shone brightly in the nighttime sky. Umbreon began to pull energy from the night air around it. The lunar light seeped into its body and began to heal the Pokemon's injuries. The gash left from Golduck's Fury Swipe began to clot and close up. The Pokemon stood on its hind legs and let out a powerful howl. Its health was fully restored.

"Damn it," Misty cursed to herself. "I forgot they're more powerful at night."

"Now that Umbreon is fully recovered, let's see how your Golduck handles a Shadow Ball!"

Misty was frightened. Shadow ball was a powerful Ghost-type attack. Apart from being frightened for her Golduck, she was impressed that Gary had managed to teach it to his Pokemon. She almost felt a bit of admiration for him in that moment.

"Golduck! Give it everything you've got. Counter with Hydro Pump!" Golduck nodded obediently and pushed off its haunches. Its entire body heaved as a spiral jet of water exploded from its bill. Simultaneously, Umbreon's body followed suit, projecting a pulsing orb of dark energy that hurtled towards its opponent. The spinning globe of blackness collided with the swirling stream of water. The two forces smashed together in a powerful explosion that caused onlookers to shield their eyes. Smoke and debris were sent up into the air causing momentarily blindness for all participants. As the dust cleared, both Golduck and Umbreon stood, breathing heavily, fangs bared. It still wasn't over.

"I'm impressed Misty," Gary told her from across the battlefield. He was, and he could not be angry about the misfire of the Shadow Ball. The challenge made it all the sweeter. "I've never seen any attack that was powerful enough to counter my Umbreon's Shadow Ball."

"This is no ordinary Golduck," Misty said proudly. "Let's finish this! Golduck! How about a Skull Bash?" Golduck nodded and then closed its eyes. The crowd fell silent as Golduck's body gained an unnaturally white glow. Suddenly, it charged towards Umbreon, spiked head low, almost hovering over the ground as it did so. The closer it got to Umbreon, the brighter the light shone.

"Umbreon, dodge!" Umbreon didn't need to be told twice. It flew into the air, letting the speeding Golduck whizz right past it. Golduck's glow immediately evaporated as it ceased the attack and scrambled to find its target. The Umbreon landed behind its attacker and let out a snarl.

"Okay Umbreon! Double team now!" The water Pokemon became baffled when it found itself surrounded by twelve Umbreons. It shifted nervously as it tried to feel out the real Umbreon; it was Psychic after all, but Umbreon was resistant to the duck-like Pokemon's mind probing.

Gary grinned impishly. "All right, Tackle it, Umbreon!" he called.

Misty was quick on her feet though. She recalled a maneuver she had seen Ash do when battling Rudy, all those years ago. "Golduck," she called to her Pokemon. "Aim your Water Gun at the ground!"

Golduck obeyed and pointed his would-be nozzle towards the grass. Swiftly water came pouring out of its mouth and slammed into the dirt below. The intensity of the stream rocketed Golduck into the sky. Umbreon's tackle was just a little too late and instead the Pokemon found itself jumping directly into Golduck's stream. Other than becoming wet, it did not affect Umbreon much, but its trainer was becoming agitated. This Golduck was surprisingly strong. Gary could actually lose.

"All right, enough is enough," he said rolling up his sleeves. "We're going to finish this. Screech Umbreon!" he hollered. He hastily covered his ear for upcoming assault. Either Golduck didn't know what was coming or it was too slow, because it wailed in agony at Umbreon's screech. Nearly everyone did. The piercing sound of its voice caused the water Pokemon grab its head in distress and put it to the floor.

Misty believed it to be getting a headache. She almost missed the days when that was a good thing. It didn't matter now anyway though. Even if a headache brought out the best in Golduck's psychic ability it wouldn't matter; Umbreon was immune to psychic attacks.

"Golduck!" she tried to shout over the deafening screech. Golduck turned to her to acknowledge he could still hear her, albeit, it looked strained to do so. "Golduck, Dig underground!" she commanded hoping that a layer of earth would serve as a buffer between Golduck and that cacophonous wail. Golduck obeyed immediately and began to scratch fiercely at the lawn (much to the alarm of one Mrs. Ketchum whose shouts of "My beautiful lawn!" could not be heard over the excitement). As Golduck began his descent underground Gary commanded Umbreon to stop.

"Follow it, Umbreon!" The dark Pokemon nodded and hastened after its opponent. Misty clenched her jaw anxiously. In a space that small there was bound to be a scrape of some kind. Golduck had nowhere to go. But neither did Umbreon. Suddenly a light bulb went off in her head!

"Golduck! Blast that Umbreon with a Waterfall!" Misty was indeed right. When the water starting flowing the only place it and Umbreon had to go was back from whence it came. A spout of water carrying Gary's Umbreon burst forth from the ground like a geyser. When Golduck relented the Umbreon fell to the ground.

Misty was displeased to find it land on its feet, a fire glowing in its crimson eyes. _That is one tough Pokemon, _she couldn't help but think admiring its tenacity. Her water attacks seemed ineffective in causing damage, rather they seemed to be merely distracting to Umbreon. She couldn't used psychic attacks and all of the normal ones were just a little too slow. Misty was at a loss. She did the only thing she could at that moment.

"Reemerge Golduck!" Golduck burst through the muddy soil under Umbreon. For a moment Misty thought she had a chance. She saw Gary's Umbreon twisting in midair which she hoped was an aftershock from Golduck's attack. Misty was disappointed when she noticed its lithe body curl into a ball and spin; it had preemptively leapt into the air for an attack. But she hadn't heard what Gary had said - had he said anything at all? Did Umbreon just know?

"Use Iron Tail now!" he cried. As Umbreon spun it gained an unearthly light around its tail. Misty imagined true to the name of the move it was probably becoming solid like iron. As it barreled back towards the ground, Golduck only had time to look up and see its end. Umbreon's tail smashed into Golduck's face sending it flying across the yard and into the giant elm where Misty stood. She watched anxiously to see if her Golduck would make a miraculous recovery.

It wouldn't. Golduck was out cold, collapsed in a heap. A distressed Misty left her place at the sidelines and ran to her Pokemon's side. She gingerly lifted it off the ground and cradled it in her arms like a baby. "It's okay Golduck," she said sweetly. "You did the best you could," she soothed the unconscious Pokemon. "I am so proud of you."

She was only vaguely aware that there were other people around in that moment. She heard Ash's voice over the crowd say, "Golduck is no longer able to battle. Umbreon is the winner!" Cheers erupted, a chant of the victor's name spread across the throng like wildfire. Gary in turn addressed his audience, waving and blowing kisses to his many adoring fans.

Misty sighed as she pulled out her Pokeball. She looked at Golduck sadly before commanding it to return. Once safe inside, she tucked him back on her belt between Starmie and Gyarados and tried to mentally prepare for the shit storm in store. She could see Gary striding over now, his black Umbreon in tow looking just as smug as he.

She stood up just as he reached her, his hand extended for her to shake. She grimaced at it, not wishing to be a good sport at all, but accepted begrudgingly.

"That was a really tough match," he said genuinely.

"Yeah," Misty half-heartedly agreed. She wasn't disappointed with how the match turned out; on the contrary, Golduck gave quite a performance. She was just not looking forward to the inevitable gloating that was sure to follow. She was surprised though when instead of grandstanding, she felt a light tug on her arm; he had used the hand she was still shaking to pull her into a hug. He was doing it for the spectacle of it all, she was sure. In unison, their audience said "awww" watching the two competitors embrace like friends.

"It's time to pay up," he whispered in her ear as he continued to hold onto her. _Ah, and there it is. _Misty had almost completely forgotten about their wager. She was so swept up in the battle didn't remember there were stakes.

"You mean here? Right now?" she whispered back. Gary could tell she had the slightest bit of panic in her voice.

"Yes, of course," he thought this had been implied they first agreed on the terms.

"Not here," she insisted urgently. "Not with everybody watching!"

It had been Gary's intention to take his victory kiss with the crowd watching. That was the whole point! He was sure it would create some interesting publicity and give the papers loads to talk about for the next few weeks. But more importantly, Ash needed to see that Gary had succeeded, otherwise it would be a case of Gary's word vs. Ash's. He was so looking forward to seeing Ash's face when he planted a wet one on the red headed vixen. However, Gary's plan seemed to have a fatal flaw. His task had been to seduce Misty, not to merely kiss her. He was relatively certain a Gary Oak kiss did not have the same effect on a woman who had just lost a Pokemon battle and had a crowd of people watching her. He wouldn't be able to work his magic in quite the same way if he had an audience. He needed quiet. Ambiance was very important factor in seduction technique. No, they'd need to be alone if he wanted to do this right.

"All right," he said releasing her from the hug. "But it has to be before midnight. And it has to be on my terms."

"Okay, sure. Whatever you want," Misty agreed hastily.

"Fine then. Meet me under the awning, a quarter to twelve." Gary knew this was going to be cutting it close, but he needed some time to collect himself. This magic he had didn't just _happen_ after all. "And I've got my eye on you until then," he warned. "Don't think I'm just going to go away."

"Yeah fine," she said dismissively waving her hand. She turned on heel to go; she was not looking forward to the bothersome conversations that were going to come after this.

As Misty walked away for some alone time she contemplated her choice deeply. Should she have just let him kiss her right there, in front of all her friends? Surely it'd make headlines the next day and she'd have paparazzi swarming the gym in no time. Everyone would be buzzing around her like flies, begging to know the answers to questions such as _what was it like? Are you together? Is he as big as everyone says?_

Misty wanted no part of it. _But, then again _a nagging voice inside her countered. _It sure would've been a shock to Ash. _Misty had not considered she could use Gary's kiss as a weapon against Ash. She frowned. That was not the kind of person she was. Even if it would make Ash absolutely berserk, she cared about him too much to deceive him like that. On top of everything she'd be using Gary - though she doubted he would mind - it was completely against her nature.

_Besides, _she thought miserably. _At this point, Ash doesn't even seem to care. _

…

To be continued…


	3. Part III

**Game**  
Part III

"Only two hours to go!"

Misty couldn't exactly say she had been having a good time at the party since the end of the match, but she sensed things were about to take a turn for the worse.

"Oh it's you again," she remarked blandly. Since the match she had managed to hide out at a little table in the far corner in the yard. Several party goers had, in fact, stopped by to congratulate her on her effort (all the while gibbering madly about how astounding Gary was). However, she was lucky enough that no one stayed too long; she was much too out of the way for most guests. Besides that a melodic tune had wafted over the yard causing many of the party goers to take to dancing (though the large majority gave new meaning to the phrase "two left feet"). Misty had been mostly left alone to ponder over the events of the day and eat her fill of food.

That was until Gary Oak showed up again.

He had spotted her, alone, with an almost empty plate a food as she gently rapped her finely manicured nails on the table to the beat of the music. Her eyes were glazed over; she was probably still thinking of her defeat. He decided to take it upon himself to "comfort" her as best he could.

He slid himself into the chair beside her and pointed to the rather expensive looking watch on his wrist, signaling the impending hour in which the two should swap spit. Misty could not even will herself to even look. She was only going to get annoyed. Instead, she turned her attention back towards her plate. She gingerly picked a stuffed mushroom off her plate and pretended to be fascinated with it so she would have to look at his smug face.

"Can't you leave me in peace until this god forsaken thing is over?" she jammed the canapé into her mouth, chewing noisily in hopes it would get him to hurry off in disgust.

She was, of course, disappointed.

"I want to keep you honest. I can't have you leaving the party early now, can I?" She sharply turned towards him with a still half chewed morsel in her mouth. She swallowed audibly before she made a case for her integrity.

"I am _not_going to leave early," she said simply, though he noted she sounded almost offended at the suggestion that she might. "As much as I despise the idea of having to kiss you," Gary couldn't help but note the word 'despise' had a little extra venom injected into it. "I am a woman of my word and I intend to uphold my end of the deal," she finished proudly, turning back towards her now empty plate.

"Just the same – I'd like to have you in my sights until then" he scooted his chair a little closer to hers. "Of course, I'd like to have you in my sights in general," he added suggestively, as he leaned in a little bit closer.

Misty sighed audibly at the line. "Uggh," the exasperated sound left her lips. She turned to him, her eyes narrowed in dismay. "Do you _ever_quit?"

"I think you already know the answer to that," he said smoothly. To drive the point home, he leaned forward on the table, put his chin in his hands and flashed her a debonair smile that said, _I'm know I'm a bit of a pain, but aren't I charming?_

"You are incorrigible, you know that?" Gary couldn't help but note the almost amused timbre of her voice. The way she said it made her sound almost – playful? He couldn't be sure yet, but perhaps his perseverance all day was actually paying off. Perhaps everything he viewed as a misfire was not a misfire at all. The blazer, the parents, the battle; maybe all of it served to slowly chip away at Misty's frozen exterior. Maybe he didn't even need a Gary Oak kiss after all.

"I think you mean incredible," he corrected.

Misty let out an unmistakably sarcastic laugh. "I think you hear what you want to hear."

"We would have also accepted charming, uniquely talented, brilliant, handsome and sexy," Gary said in his best impersonation of a game show host.

"I'll admit," Misty crossed her arms and reclined in her chair. "You do put up a tough fight," she said giving him a sideways smirk. Although she hated to acknowledge it, Gary's persistence was admirable; when it came to getting what he wanted, he certainly was a champion. Something had to be said for that.

"And you, my dear," his silken voice caressed the last syllable. "Also put up a tough fight. On and _off_ the battlefield," he said chuckling a little. He was, of course, referring to his incessant pursuit of her all day and her uncanny ability to knock him down at every turn. She certainly had not made a single thing easy all day. Something had to be said for that too.

She shrugged casually. "I try," she said nonchalantly.

She was trying her very hardest to still look peeved but he could see the smile tugging at the corner of her lips. His eyes became fixated on her perfect lips, red like a rosebud, pulled the cutest little grin he'd ever seen. Looking at those petal soft lips he was suddenly struck with an idea. There, in the center of table, where stood a delicate crystal vase, filled to the brim with blossoms. There was nothing special about this particular centerpiece; they were on every table. Yet, in the center of this bouquet was a single red rose. The surrounding flowers merely served as a backdrop for this burgundy beauty, its petals lightly dusted with condensation that reflected the moonlight. It was quite a specimen.

In one fluid motion, Gary stood up from his seat and deftly snatched the rose from its perch. Intrigued, Misty turned herself around to see what he was doing and found herself face to face with the beautiful blossom, held loosely in Gary Oak's grip.

"And as a token of your valiant effort, I present you with this," he said chivalrously as he dropped to one knee and bowed his head.

Misty bit her lip, suddenly flooded with confusing thoughts and feelings. She was not about to rule out the possibility that this was a twisted dream from which she would wake and wonder if all these years she had secretly been into Gary Oak all along. That was the only way any of this made sense. Her best friend and first time Pokemon companion had not even casually engaged her in conversation, and yet he was Gary Oak – on his knees no less – presenting her with a flower. She really wasn't sure what to think.

Her sensible side was reminding her Gary Oak was a professional bachelor. Being handsome and charming was like a second nature at this point. He knew every stop and exactly when to pull it. However, Misty couldn't help but feel a twinge of an unfamiliar feeling. _Attraction?_ _Affection? _Whatever it was, Misty's breath caught in her throat a little as her fingers curled around the stem. She swallowed noticeably as a finger gently peeled back one of the outer petals. It was such a small gesture and yet it meant so much.

He was smiling at her now; the sort of smile that indicated a sense of triumph. Her eyes slowly lifted from the rose to meet his own. She began to feel whatever fondness she had newly acquired for Gary Oak was beginning to wilt. _Damn it,_ she cursed silently. _This is exactly what he wanted me to do. _She finally released the breath she had been holding in and let her hands fall unceremoniously into her lap. Whatever sort of game he was playing he was winning. Misty was not about to let that happen.

"If you think you're going to butter me up with flowers – " she pointed an index finger at him to ensure he was listening to her. She was surprised though when his larger hands gently cupped hers causing the rest of the sentence to die on her lips. Misty's focus was pulled down to their hands now. His tanned skin was in stark contrast with her ivory flesh. His fingers had curled expertly around her own and were surprisingly soft, not to mention warm. She was struck by another unfamiliar feeling all of a sudden.

"Can't a man give a woman a rose without his motives being questioned?" he inquired genuinely, not letting go of her hands.

As much as she tried to remain distant and unmoved though, she couldn't help but begin to feel as though she had misjudged him. _All he did was give you a flower, _she tried to remind herself. _He just picked it out of a bunch, it's not like he had even bought it, _her ramblings continued.

But in truth, hadn't it been more? Hadn't he been nothing but a gentleman to her all day? Her eyes dropped to the black blazer that was still covering her arms. He had let her wear it, so she wouldn't have to walk into the party, embarrassed beyond belief. He hadn't gloated when he beat her in a Pokemon match and did not force a kiss in front of a curious crowd. And most of all, he had been at her side all day, talking to her, trying to be her friend. All this happening while someone she thought cared about her had not said one single word to her.

_It's all an act. _

But Misty wasn't so sure anymore.

He was still looking at her which alerted Misty to the fact she had yet to respond to his question. Even if Gary Oak wasn't such a bad guy after all, she wasn't ready to let him in on that fact just yet.

"No. Not if the man is you," she said, having finally regained enough of her composure to respond.

In a display of melodrama, he clutched at his heart desperately and let his form sag against the table with a 'thunk' that rattled the silver wear. His head fell into the crook of his elbow as he mimicked a wounded soldier on the brink of collapse. "Ouch," he said, pulling at the fabric over his heart. He then raised his head slightly to give her a pathetic look. "That really hurt."

Misty shook her head, not buying into his tragedy. "I bet you couldn't go five minutes without saying or doing something that didn't get you closer to getting into a woman's pants!" She had meant it to sound as though she was disgusted, but instead she realized she sounded much more entertained by the fact.

He instantly straightened up at her words."Is that what you think I'm doing?!" he pretended to sound shocked. "Madam, I am offended," he immediately turned his head away, pretending that he could no longer bear to look at her. "I mean, it's not like I can't help it if women feel that way around me, can I?" he added forlornly.

She rolled her eyes, but it was clear to Gary this she wasn't agitated. "And for that matter," she said with a wide, almost toothy grin now. "I bet you couldn't go that long without saying arrogant and egotistical."

"Do you really want to make another bet? Isn't that what got you into trouble last time, Miss Waterflower?"

And there it was again. It was amazing how fast he could switch gears. Moments before he was being playful and funny; he had somehow managed to make her comfortable and almost glad to be near him. And then, a split second later, silken sounds spilled forth from his mouth like liquid seduction.

_Two can play at that game._

"But this time, I make the rules," Misty did a perfect mimic of his seductive tone.

Gary could not hide his intrigue; his eyebrows instantly rose as he shot her a questioning glance. "So what do I get if I win this time?" he asked her. "Another kiss?" he said hopefully.

Misty snorted at the mere mention. "How about respect?" she offered instead, not without a smirk.

Gary's brow furrowed as though he was deeply ruminating on the subject. Of course, he had already decided to agree with whatever she had suggested, but he was attempting not to look overeager. "Really?" he said deliberately slow. "You'd give me respect, eh?"

It sounded genuine, perhaps because part of it did come from a sincere place. Gary had grown, in the past few hours, to respect Misty as a powerful, self-sufficient, intelligent woman. He couldn't deny his admiration of her and his desire for her to return that feeling. He also couldn't deny the ulterior motive to successfully seduce her was still very much in play though.

"If you can sit here for five minutes and have an honest conversation with me, I will consider it."

"Madam, I accept your challenge," he said in a grandiose manner as he rose from his seat. In a display of showmanship he crossed one hand over his heart and with the other he grasped her hand, catching the flame-headed trainer completely off-guard. "I will show you the eloquence and sophistication of my rhetoric. Under one condition," he said in his most stately manner.

"And what would that be?" her arched eyebrows clearly displaying her dubiousness.

"That we don't have to be sitting," his normal voice returned, brimming with what Misty could only describe as a sense of child-like deviousness. Before she could even agree, his fingers were wrapped tightly around her wrist and pulled her from her seated position. Once she had gotten to her feet, albeit, precariously, her male companion took off in another direction, still firmly attached to her wrist. Misty had no choice but to follow.

"Where are we going?!" she almost shouted at him as her legs shook dangerously with every step. If Misty had known she was going to be running around, she probably would not have worn high heels. Gary looked back at her and noticed her not only struggling to maintain speed, but balance as well. His jog slowly morphed into a walk, allowing the frustrated woman to catch her breath.

"I thought it'd be nice to walk around, get some exercise," he explained to her after they had stopped completely. Misty still panting, rose from her hunched position and gave him what Gary could only describe as the stink eye.

"All right fine!" she snapped. "We don't need to hold hands," she added, noticing his fingers still curled around her wrist. For extra emphasis, she shook her hand a little; his hand dropped easily as his grip had become flaccid during the frivolity. She made a noise that indicated she was satisfied before she started to walk away.

Gary merely stood in place moment before processing. It was like every time he took a step forward, he took two steps back. She simply refused to let him gain any ground. It was like she was trying a little too hard at times. He couldn't help but wonder if this wasn't so much about him as it was some sort of natural defense system she had unconsciously built to protect her heart at any cost.

Whatever it was, it was nothing he couldn't take care of.

He hurried after her and swiftly pulled up alongside her. "Well, we don't _need_ to," Gary he trailed off, knowing full well she understood the gist of his comment. As she turned to him to scowl, he gave her wink, knowing full well he was playing with fire.

"Hey!" she barked disapprovingly. "This is supposed to be honest, non-suggestive talking," with each syllable she thwacked him hard anywhere she could reach. No hit she landed was particularly painful, but it indicated to him she was seriously about his flirtatious overtures. The irony was spectacular; in order to properly deceive her, he was going to need to be honest. And for the first time that day, Gary began to feel guilt over what he was doing.

Misty was very much unlike any woman he had ever met. She smart, independent, witty, incredibly skilled with Pokemon and a good person. What if he actually succeeded? What was he supposed to do then? Tell her to take a hike? Originally, when they had made the bet, Gary assumed he'd take care of it in the way he always had; take her phone number and never call. But now, Gary knew for a fact he couldn't do that – not only would it destroy her, but him as well. He became confused as he realized he didn't want to win the bet so much anymore as he had to win. He wasn't sure he could will himself to send her back to Ash now if he lost.

Misty's glancing blows brought him back to the present. A smile tugged at his lips as he noted how incredibly cute she looked when she was all riled up.

"Okay, okay okay!" he said grabbing a hold her wrists."You're right, you're right."

She looked at him doubtfully, not sure if she was hearing correctly. He met her eyes to communicate his sincerity. She continued to look skeptical but relaxed in his grip. He slowly released her hands when he was convinced she wouldn't lash out any more. "Really," he promised, putting one hand on his heart and raising the other as if swearing an oath. "From now on it's just me, honest Gary."

Misty made a noise somewhere between growl and a sigh before they began to walk again. Gary doubted she was truly angry – she would have put up a much bigger fight if she had been. He couldn't help but wonder if the chance to slap him around was her _own_ way of flirting. She did have a history of becoming aggressive with men she liked; Ash Ketchum - case and point.

"All right, _honest Gary_," her voice was undeniably sarcastic, but certainly not caustic. No, she definitely wasn't truly angry. "Now that you're being so honest, I have to ask the question that has been on my mind all day."

"Yes, it's true," Gary heaved a big pretend sigh. "This is my natural hair color," he bounced some of his chestnut brown locks with a free hand causing his companion to let out a rather unlady-like snort. She pressed a hand to her mouth to contain the laughter that was tickling her tongue. Gary only encouraged this by showing her his best runway walk and then throwing her a smoldering stare.

Misty's eyes began to water she was laughing so hard. She never ever thought she would get to see the epitome of a man, Gary Oak, strut on the catwalk, shaking his hindquarters as he did so. He had a pretty nice set too, she couldn't help but notice.

Misty began to stand up straight again when the peals of laughter began to abide. She held her stomach and let out a huge sigh. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so hard.

"You were saying?" the Pokemon researcher said deviously after he had skipped back towards her gleefully.

"I was saying – what I was going to say is," she corrected, remembering that he hadn't given her the opportunity to actually speak. "Since you're being honest now, allegedly, what is going on with you today?

"I don't know what you mean," he said innocently, twiddling his thumbs in a very obvious matter.

"Yes you do. Why have you been so persistent today? Why have to been so eager to talk to me? When we were kids you barely acknowledged my existence. Today it's like I'm a goddamn Moltres. So, again, what's gotten into you?"

Gary bit his lip. He almost wanted to be completely honest with her; she deserved the truth. But he knew full well he could not disclose the details of the afternoon to her. For one, it was an unspoken rule that the neither he nor Ash could talk about it. For another, once Misty heard that she was the subject of their rather misogynistic bet she would be furious. He could almost hear her now:

_YOU TWO DID WHAT?! _

_THAT IS THE MOST INSENSITIVE, BOORISH, DISGUSTING BEHAVIOR I HAVE EVER WITNESSED!_

_YOU THINK I'M SORT OF THING THAT CAN BE WON?! YOU THINK ITS OKAY TO MANIPULATE MY EMOTIONS FOR YOUR AMUSEMENT!_

Even if he came clean now, the damage would irreparable. He very much doubted she would appreciate the honesty and let him continue wooing her for his own benefit. Besides just losing the bet, she would also never speak to him again. And that bothered him more than he cared to admit.

"Well if I'm being honest," said Gary, feeling the guilt bubbling beneath his skin. _What the hell am I going to say?_ "It's because –"

She looked at him expectantly. As she did so, he swore time had slowed down. Each fiery tendril undulated in mid air as her head moved. Her long, crème colored neck was an exquisite, like that of a swan as it craned to move her perfectly heart shaped face towards his. Her lips were parted in expectation; she was awaiting an explanation. And he knew exactly what to tell her.

"I think it's because of how incredibly beautiful I think you are."

Misty couldn't exactly say what she had been expecting him to say. She theorized the possibility of he was trying to exact revenge on an ex girlfriend. She had also considered the complete opposite; maybe he was trying to dissuade the many young hopefuls at the party by pretending to be infatuated with her. She even considered maybe he was just getting on or off some powerful medication with rather unusual side effects. Whatever she had been expecting this has not been it.

"What?" a single syllable finally managed to make it out of Misty's mouth. Her mind was not processing what he had said. _It's because of how incredibly beautiful I think you are. _Misty had spent a lifetime in the shadow of her sister's beauty. While her superior skills in training had managed to make her successful and independent, she had never ever forgotten about the way they put her down for being a tomboy. It was for this reason she attributed much of her failure in securing dates for her adult life so far. And yet, here was Gary Oak was telling her she was beautiful. This was a man who had dated supermodels and actresses and he thought _she _was beautiful. Now Misty had surely heard everything. _  
_

"Look," he began to explaining, suddenly feeling very warm. "I – I saw you from across the yard and I – I don't know. You were the hottest girl I'd ever seen and I wanted to get a chance to know you."

He was stuttering. Gary Oak never stuttered.

Misty regained her poise enough to muster a skeptical look. "To know me?" she asked suspiciously.

"Okay, to sleep with you, yes. Fine I'll admit it. It wasn't all violins and champagne – in fact I believe my first thoughts were actually very explicit - I'm sorry!" he added hurriedly, when he noticed her eyes narrowing. He had a feeling Misty wouldn't want to know the intimate details of the things he had imagined her doing. On the floor. In the shower. In Ash's bed. Gary bit his lip as all sorts of sordid images flooded his mind.

"I didn't know it was you," he said honestly as he angled his body away from hers to prevent any further embarrassment.

It wasn't a lie. It just wasn't a complete truth.

"But you don't have to worry, I have been receiving your message loud and clear. I'm not getting any tonight," he chanced to look over his shoulder at her. He could not read what she was thinking.

"Or any other night," she informed him firmly, but not harshly.

"Or any other night," he repeated to illustrate to her that he completely understood. He could not keep the disappointment out of his voice completely though.

"Then why are you still hanging around?" she questioned as they continued their walk. "I mean, if you know I'm not about sleep with you. I'm sure there are plenty of beautiful women at this party who would," she pointed out.

"Maybe I enjoy talking to you. Maybe I enjoy the fact that I can have an actual conversation with you. Maybe I like that for once a woman is not acting like I'm the second coming of Christ. Maybe I just like you."

Misty was dumbfounded. If her jaw hadn't been attached she would have sworn it'd have fallen off. How could Gary Oak manage to do this? How could he make her feel angry, frustrated, annoyed, sad, happy and confused all at the same time? He read her like an open book, poked her in every sensitive spot she had and worst of all really truly made her feel something. How had he do that? He barely even knew her!

She remained silent as she tried to process the feelings that were bubbling inside her.

"Not what you were expecting?" he guessed when she still hadn't spoken for several moments.

"I guess I figured you just enjoyed messing with me," she said slowly and quietly. He could tell what he had said had taken her off guard. What he couldn't tell was how she felt about what he had said.

"That's just an added bonus," he ribbed playfully as he gave her a light push. An involuntarily smile came to her lips. Perhaps he really was telling the truth.

This realization made Misty visibly relax and a silence fell over them that was oddly easy. Misty had not felt this way with a person in a long time. It was a feeling that you were both so comfortable with each other, nothing needed to be said. The fact that she felt this relaxed with him after mere hours made Misty wonder what had gotten into her. She prided on herself on being strong and smart; both had protected her from being deceived by any man since she had parted ways with Ash. The fact that she was feeling unguarded for the first time in literally a decade was somewhat unnerving. Suddenly the silence didn't feel so comfortable anymore.

As they strode across the lawn, back towards the party and Misty was relieved to hear a familiar melody reach her ears. She really needed the distraction. She felt herself relax little from hearing the recognizable notes. She relaxed so much so that a small sound escaped her mouth when her favorite part approached. She hadn't meant to do so, but it was unambiguous. She let out the smallest, dreamiest, "Mmm" at the swell of the imminent chorus.

Gary turned to look at his companion. "What?"

"Wha - oh nothing," she was embarrassed he had noticed the sound at all. "I just like this song is all," she said offhandedly.

"Oh yeah," a devious glint appeared in his eye. Gary already knew he was close to winning her heart. The fact that they were had not only been having a civil conversation, but playful banter, and comfortable silence as well at that meant she was just microns from complete infatuation. Now he was pretty sure he had just figured out how to seal the deal.

"How about a dance?" he said offering her his hand in a distinctly debonair manner.

Misty hadn't meant to but she laughed at him. "With you?" she said, trying to stifle her giggles.

"No, with my grandfather," he said rolling his eyes. "Of course, with me."

"Oh no, no, no, no," she said backing up gradually with each 'no' that she uttered. "I don't think that would be a very good idea," waving her hands as a warning signal to him.

"Why not?"

Misty uncomfortably shifted her weight and avoided his curious stare. It the smallest voice she could manage she whispered, "I can't dance."

Gary smiled; she was awfully cute sometimes. "Well then it's lucky that I do. Come on," Misty opened her mouth to continue to protest but was silenced when his hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist. Her mind had not fully processed the gesture; he was already leading her to an empty spot of grass before her brain could even register the fact that she had actually been asked to dance. Once situated he turned to face her, his hand slipping off her wrist to find her hand while the other hand reached up and found the small of her back.

"That hand is not going anywhere," Gary assured her upon noting her expression. "It's there so I can lead you properly. It's the main point of connection during the dance," he explained.

Misty nodded, but she wasn't sure she fully understood what he meant.

"It might help if you'd actually lean into it a bit, instead of acting like my hand has cooties," he observed. Misty saw what he meant. She was a little on edge about him touching her so that her back was arched giving him literally nothing to hold onto. She tried to remedy the situation by leaning back as far as possible; she thought that was what he meant by "lean into it."

"No, don't lean back!" exclaimed Gary as he was pulled forward by the weight of her torso tilting backwards. Misty straightened up, completely flushed from embarrassment. _Okay don't lean back or arch your back forward_, she noted.

"I told you, I don't know how to do this!" she dropped the hand that was on his bicep – _Wait a second – how did that get there? _Misty didn't remember him telling her to do that and she didn't remember doing it herself. Had she instinctively known something about dancing?

"Hey, hey, hey, relax," he said calmly. "It's no big deal. Trust me, anybody can dance. I just need you to sort of relax into the connection; like my hand is the back of a chair,"

Misty concentrated; she pretended as though she was sitting into a very shallow chair. Her back was still straight but now Gary was able to press his palm firmly against it which was, as far as she could tell, exactly what he needed.

"Good," he encouraged her. "And you were right. This hand," his left hand reached over their bodies and to grab Misty's own left hand. "Goes here," he replaced her hand on his bicep. "That's relaxed too. We don't want any Tyranitar arms."

Misty hadn't meant to, but the image of two Tyranitars, with their impossibly short arms, dancing made her laugh.

"You laugh," the amused Gary Oak said. "But people _do_ dance like that. It just looks painful to me."

Gary was popular on the nighttime circuit; it was an experience that allowed him to witness enough the awkward dancing to last a lifetime. At the very least, he knew most people did know how odd they looked when they flailed their bodies to a beat that was just slightly off the pounding, obnoxious bass line. The worst of course were the people who thought they were good, but were in reality a disaster. He had encountered enough drunken sluts who had attempted to grind on him in this manner to know this was perhaps one of the biggest turn offs in the world.

"Okay so, the hard part is over," he assured her. "All you need to do now is just follow my lead."

Gary took a step forward catching the flustered water-Pokemon trainer off guard; his foot glanced off the top of hers. Panicking, Misty took a hasty step backwards that caused her right foot to bow outward and her body began to drop to the floor. If Gary hadn't already been holding her he would have never been able to prevent the fall. Luckily, he was in just the right position to pull her close and grab onto her with his other hand. Misty found her entire weight sag against him; she was panting heavily.

In the commotion of the fall, Misty had instinctively latched both arms around him and was now clinging to him a manner not so different than that of one of his desperate fans. Even more jarring, their faces were mere inches from each other and Gary had her locked in a stare down. She felt a little short of breath- but that was obviously from the abrupt shock, right? And the world around her seemed to be spinning – but that must have been from the fall? Suddenly she didn't seem to be thinking straight. She forgot the dull ache in her ankle and the fact that she had nearly done a face plant in the midst of a very crowded party.

"Are you all right?" Gary was the first to speak as he cautiously lifted her back to her feet. Misty was shaking a little now, her hands still tightly clasping the material of his shirt. She realized she was now standing again – her balanced completely restored and she hadn't noticed how she'd gotten there.

Her eyes darted between his face and her hands, still tightly clinging to him. She hastily backed away as if they burned and began to shake her head vigorously to try and regain her senses. Gary, meanwhile continued to stare at her, wondering if perhaps she was really injured.

"I thought you said this part was easy," the irked woman said, completely ignoring his comment. She began to brush herself as if the whole thing was no big deal, but truthfully she found herself at a lost. She had only been in his embrace for a few seconds and she was practically swooning like a love-sick puppy. _Oh God, Misty_ she berated herself. _What has gotten into you?_

"Ready to try it again?" Gary's voice cut through her self-reprimanding thoughts.

She looked at him disbelievingly. "You're kidding, right?"

"Hey what kind of attitude is that?" he countered, crossing his arms. "What do you do when you fall off the Rapidash?" he questioned her as if she were a child. "You get right back on, again"

"I nearly killed myself," she reminded him.

"That's because, you weren't listening," he informed her crisply.

"Wha – " sputtered the indignant woman."I did everything you said! I – I –I relaxed into your hand-chair thing and I," while Misty was in midst of an oncoming rant when he closed the space between them again. His hand found her back again while the other one tangled in between her digits. Misty was too stunned by his impetuousness that her words completely died in her throat.

"How about this, how about this?" he soothed her. He could tell she was a few seconds from throwing a tantrum again. "Close your eyes?"

"What!" The fiery woman's temperament flared dangerously. "Are you crazy? How am I going to see where I'm going?"

"That's just it. You don't have to see where you're going. You just need to feel where I'm going. It'll be easier to tell without being distracted by your sight," he told her logically.

"I don't know…" Misty really did not like this idea. Dancing without your sight seemed to make about as much sense as battling without a Pokemon. She could not think of any situation that ended favorably for her.

"It's like you don't trust me," Gary did his best to sound hurt by this.

"I don't trust you, Gary," she said plainly, though he noticed the smallest of grins on her features. Even if she didn't right now, she was beginning to.

"Come on," he coaxed again. "Close your eyes."

Misty gave him a last dubious look before her eyelids fell. He tightened his grasp some to reestablish the connection. Then he waited. He wanted to make sure she was really listening to him. He did not want her to preemptively move when he had not yet instructed her to do so. Misty remained still. She inhaled deeply, a sign of her deep concentration. For some reason she did not want to look like a fool in front of him again, though she could not, for the life of her figure out why.

Gary watched her a moment longer. She was so close now. He could reach out and touch her skin. He could kiss her if he wanted. But he resisted the urge. He knew he was so close that at the end of their dance she would practically be begging him to kiss her. He grinned and took his first step.

Misty was actually amazed at what was happened next. With her eyes tightly shut, her other senses seemed heightened. She sensed the movement almost before it happened. Gary began to move his left foot forward and instinctively her right one moved back. They'd taken a step in sync. He hadn't said a word and she had stepped. She just felt him move and reacted in turn. It was exhilarating!

"I did it! I can't believe I did it!"

"That's all it is." He took another step forward and her other foot reacted instantly. Then another step. And another. Soon they were stepping in sync like a well-oiled machine. It was as though they had practiced together for years.

"Now I'm going to try something different – don't panic. Just stay calm and react accordingly."

Without another word Gary lifted the hand that held hers. Somehow Misty just knew he meant her for to move under it. She didn't hesitate in doing so. She did so and she suddenly found herself in the middle of a turn! She was spinning and he had hardly done a thing. She continued the momentum up which allowed for her partner to, in one swift movement, catch her around the back and return to closed position. From there the two circled over and over again until the music shifted again. It became soft and melodious causing the two to find themselves fall into a gentle sway.

"See, you're a natural," he said softly as the two continued to move across the floor. Things seemed to be progressing so well, Gary chanced to make a bold move; he decided to be daring. They were close enough now that with the smallest amount of effort he could lean his head on hers. If Misty were taller they could be dancing cheek to cheek, however, he found he liked the intimacy of cheek to forehead just as much. He was a little surprised when she leaned into him as well. Gary wasn't sure if she was only doing it because she was still concentrating on listening or perhaps because wanted to.

"The Great Gary Oak dances," Misty said comically. "Who would have guessed?" He wasn't sure but she sounded – happy.

"Are you kidding? How else do you think I land all those women?" he inquired.

"I don't know." For some reason the mention of "all those women" did not seem to light a fire under Misty as she thought it would. Normally she would have recoiled at the mention of those plastic bimbos that Gary often found himself in the company of. Any other day, Misty would have said she was disgusted that Gary actually led his life the way he did; using women like they were Kleenex. And yet, Misty found herself softening somewhat. He had to be missing something in his own life if he was turning to meaningless sex to make him happy. Maybe they did have more in common than she thought.

"I figured it might have something to do with the looks and the money and car and the fame," she said continued casually.

"Now hold on a second," he actually pulled away from her to make sure he had heard her correctly. "Did you say looks?"

Misty rolled her eyes, but she was, in fact, smiling as she said so. "Don't read too much into it."

"How can I not?" the stunned young man countered. "That's the closest you've come to a compliment all day," he laughed, realizing it was true. She had spent so much of the day cutting him down that hearing her speak semi-positively about him sounded incredibly foreign. "Admit it, you think I'm attractive."

Misty shook her head stubbornly and sealed her lips tight. She wasn't about to inflate Gary's ego any more than it already was. If she admitted her attraction to him, she might as well give him a license to rub it in her face for the rest of eternity.

"Come on, ten minutes ago I basically just told you that when I first saw you I wanted to rip off your clothes and take you right there on the grass. You can at least return the favor."

"Hey!" she slapped him on the arm playfully. "You did not say _that_."

"Oh," Gary eyes shifted back and forth in an attempt to look guilty. "I guess I was just thinking it then." She pouted a little to show her disapproval of his dirty, dirty thoughts but did not chastise him any further.

"Come on," he goaded her. "Tell me I'm pretty," he said as he tossed his hair about in an exaggerated fashion.

"Objectively speaking, I can't say you're entirely unappealing physically, I guess," she said with obvious difficulty. He knew she threw on the "I guess" at the end in an effort to make it sound nonchalant. But Gary knew. She thought he was cute. And that's all he needed to hear.

"Thank you, you're not so unappealing yourself," he said pulled her back towards him.

Instead of focusing on the difficult and confusing things she had begun to feel, she instead let herself get wrapped up in the dance. The music swirled around them as Gary effortlessly steered them across the floor. Misty was amazed that the lightest touch had her stepping, turning, moving without so much as thinking about it. She noted with some irritation he must be a very good dancer; she couldn't imagine someone as clumsy as Ash Ketchum directing her with such grace across the dance floor.

What was equally intriguing was that he was actually listening to the song. A small trumpet flare resulted in the pop of the hip. An airy flute solo was a series of light toe taps. A smooth saxophone chord brought the two closer together, lengthening the connection they shared and increasing the intimacy. He was so masterful in his execution of musicality that Misty found her admiration towards him had escalated substantially. Not that she would ever tell.

Gary caught a whiff of her hair; he knew it would smell good. It reminded him of vanilla. He exhaled deeply as he brought her closer. He smiled. He wasn't even preoccupied with the fact that he had a real shot at winning the bet. In fact he wasn't thinking about the bet at all. He just couldn't believe the comfort he felt in her arms. The way the glided in sync was unmistakable; there was something about this girl.

There was a decrescendo in the music; Gary replied in turn by taking smaller steps, keeping them in a single spot as they smoothly swayed to the fading notes. The music was now nothing more than a whisper; the couple rocked gently to and fro with no intention of stopping. He pulled away from her just enough to look at her face; her eyes were closed, her breathing was steady and she had the smallest of smiles on her face.

She really was beautiful.

She noticed he had stopped and slowly lifted her head to look at him. He swore when she did his heart beat sped up and his breathing became labored. He was light headed – he needed oxygen. He was sure if he could just – press his lips to hers – somehow it would all go away. He felt a little drunk, his eyelids drooped heavily and suddenly he was leaning down for his prize.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Gary's dizzy drunken stupor evaporated as suddenly as it had come. His eyes snapped opened at the sound of her voice. She was now leaning back as far as she could while still held tightly in his embrace.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm trying to kiss you," he said as if this should have been obvious. The prior feelings brought forth from the dance were now completely replaced by utter perplexity. He was sure he hadn't imagined that there was something was happening between them. He was positive they had both felt a jolt during that dance. He just knew she had wanted it too. Right?

"Excuse me," she sounded a little affronted. She gave him a little push so he would let her go, which he did so obligingly. She took a step back and placed her hands on her hips; Gary couldn't help but feel like he was about to get lectured.

"I thought we _agreed _that I would –" she became flustered at the thought of had almost happened. "I thought that I would fulfill my obligations at a designated time and place."

Gary stared at her with disbelief. Had she not been a part of the same dance he was?

"…What?"

"Am I speaking another language? You and I agreed that the stipulations of our agreement were that – that – my duties were to be performed at a predetermined time and place."

He quickly recovered from his initial shock. "I - I know – but," he reclosed the gap between them and let his arms wrap themselves around her again. He wasn't about to give up so easily. "It feels like now might be right time and place, don't you think?"

"No," Misty insisted. She reached behind her back and grabbed his wrists. She then promptly pushed his arms away and took another step back. "No I don't think!"

"Misty," he said desperately. "Where on Earth is this coming from? What – what are you talking about? Please tell me you're not about to stand there and tell me that you didn't feel something just now."

"Feel something?" the outraged Water-Pokemon let out a series of obviously fake laughs. "Like you could actually feel anything," she said venomously.

"Wh – " Gary could only stare at her with his mouth agape. No intelligent words were forming in his brain. One minute they were dancing, blissfully gliding across the dance floor and now she was behaving like a spitting Arbok cornered by a mongoose. He had no idea why she was acting this way.

As he continued to mull over the insanity that was unfolding she continued to unleash more fury upon him. "Look! I know your game Gary Oak! You get me to drop my guard a little and you think that means I'm going to sleep with you. I already told you it's not going to work!"

"That's not it at all!"

"Then what is it?"

Now it was Gary who was beginning to lose his temper. "Jesus Misty!" he exclaimed, loud enough to alert other party guests to the brewing fight. "Why can't you just accept the fact that there's something here?" he said gesturing between them rapidly.

"Maybe because there isn't!" she rebuked harshly. "You think because there was a brief moment of mutual grief between us that 'something's there'? You think we happened to have a single civil conversation that suddenly means we're compatible? You think that just because you spent the entire day turning on the charm that I'm just going to drop my pants for you!" she demanded angrily.

"No! NO!" He countered, just a loudly. Things were spiraling out of control and Gary desperately tried to get a handle on things. He reached for her hand, trying to quell her fury. "I'm just reacting to the obvious chemistry we have – "

"Uggh stop that!" she batted away his hand. "Is this some kind of game to you? Let's get Misty as worked up as possible and see if see turns as red as her hair! Why are you doing this?!" she questioned furiously.

"Why are _you_ getting worked up?" he said pointedly.

"I'm not!" she shouted vehemently.

Gary was usually pretty good at keeping an even temper. It was one of the reasons everyone perceived him to be was so cool; very little bothered him. But the way Misty was acting was enough to fly the usually cool-as-a-cucumber man into a rage. He could not believe she was so damaged that she had to act this way. He refused to accept that she needed to behave this way when she felt the least bit threatened. Somehow he knew he was not the first person she had tried to drive away by her need to protect herself, but if he had anything to say about it, he would be the last.

"Yes you are! And you know why? You can't stand the thought of anyone being close to you. Things just got a little too real for you, didn't they Misty?!"

Misty was thrown for a loop when he rebounded on her so forcefully. Any time she had snapped at him he had shrugged or laughed it off. It was almost alarming to see him this way.

"That's why you refuse to let anybody touch you, or flirt with you, right?" he continued, suddenly swept up by his own tirade. "Because if, Mew forbid, they did, there's the chance they'll just end up hurting you. Like your parents or Ash did when he replaced you!"

Misty visibly gasped at the impertinent statement. Gary wasn't sure but he thought he saw her nostrils flare like an angry Tauros. He had just said the thing that she had been grappling with for years and he was sure he was about pay dearly.

"Why don't you just shut up about things you don't know anything about! For your information, Ash did not _replace _me! And even if he had I don't see how any of it is any of your business!" She appeared to be so angry, she was almost shaking with rage.

"Well fine!" Gary threw his hands in the air as if he was defeated. "If it's not that then, then what is it?! Hmm? Is it just that you're just scared!"

"Me?!" she visibly recoiled at the absurdity of the statement. "Scared of what?"

"Scared that you actually like it. Scared that I might actually be able to make you happy. Scared that being with me is somehow against some little code of ethics you have. Like you're betraying Ash or something. News Flash Misty!" he called through cupped handed as though they were a megaphone. "Ash hasn't spoken to you in years! Who's betraying who?"

It was so fast, he didn't even see it coming despite the fact he had been waiting for it all day. And just when he had been so close she had finally delivered. Her open palm came sailing out of the night air unleashing her full fury across his face. Her hand left a distinct impression on his cheek after completing the slap. It hurt so bad that he swore he now understood what it was liked to be hit with Mega Punch. To boot he was pretty sure she had slapped the wind out of him because he felt like he couldn't breathe anymore.

For as quick as it came, it was over just as quickly. He gingerly brought one hand to his injured face before chancing to look at his assailant.

He had seen an angry Gyarados look less terrifying than she did. Her shoulders were visibly moving as she audibly inhaled and exhaled like a threatened animal. If looks could kill Gary would have died a thousand times over and then some.

And then something happened that Gary had not expected. Tears. Angry tears spilled out of her eyes and hastily she threw up her hands to block him from seeing them. It was too late, of course, and he had already seen them yet Misty wanted to go out as a champion, as a warrior. She certainly did not want the last memory of this harrowing argument being her weeping like a baby. She quickly turned and broke into a run before he could say or do anything to stop her. She was so fast that her choked sobs were but a whisper on the wind in a matter of seconds.

Gary was still reeling from the slap. How had things gotten out of hand so quickly? Why had he allowed himself to escalate the fight? Why had he allowed it to get so personal? Was it because he refused to let her walk all over him? Was it because she was acting so immature? Was it because he had really started to feel something for her?

Gary couldn't say anything for sure. The only thing he did know was that he had really done it this time.

…  
To Be Continued…


	4. Part IV

**Author's Note: **Just wanted to drop a line and let everyone know how much I appreciate the reviews and favs. I admit I thought this story was going to be dud after the first two updates since it had yet to receive any reviews. However, the recent support is very reassuring and has definitely motivated me to want to finish. We are probably looking at only one or two more chapters. I hope you enjoy!

**Game**  
Part IV

Guh Guhng. Guh Guhng. Guh Guhng.

Misty's heart was slamming into her rib cage with such ferocity she was certain it would burst out of her chest like she was some kind of deranged Cuckoo clock. The sound of her heartbeat resonated in her ears with an intensity of a Jifflypuff's Pound. Her legs were throbbing as her ligaments and tendons seemed to become ablaze with a Magmar's Fire Blast. Her eyes felt like were drowning; any water Pokemon would have been able to use her salty tears to surf their way to victory. The only other noises she could even register were her own shallows breaths of air and her clumsy steps on the forest floor. Twigs snapped under the heels of her new shoes and branches reached out to rip fissures in her flesh, but she barely registered it. She just pushed herself to run as fast and as far as she possibly could.

Misty had no idea where she was going. She had no idea what she was going to do when she got there. The only thing she could tell herself to do was to run faster. Maybe if she ran fast enough she'd be able to escape the events of the day; Ash's cold indifference to her, Gary's suspicious interest in her and most of all her emotional fortification crumbling like a house of cards. It occurred to the young woman that nothing seemed real anymore. She suddenly felt like Alice down the rabbit hole. She was trapped in some bizarre, other worldly dimension, where up was down, right was wrong, Ash was cruel, Gary was nice and Misty was absolutely zubat-shit crazy. It felt like a nightmare.

She couldn't have run more than a mile when Misty was surprised to find something amiss. She felt her body leave the ground and suddenly she was airborne. She had not even noticed the rock jutting out of the forest's floor until she was sailing over it at full speed. Her limbs flailed uselessly as her body somersaulted through the air. For a brief moment it felt terrific. She felt like she taking off on the wings of a legendary bird about to fly away from her earthly, insignificant problems. The feeling was fleeting of course; her stomach had enough time for nauseating swooping sensation before she found herself plummeting into the ground.

A pathetic sob escaped through chapped lips as her back crashed down against the cold, hard, unforgiving soil. She could hear the snapping branches and rustling leaves as her momentum continued to carry her off carried her off. After rolling for a few feet she finally skidded to a halt. She was now completely at rest, on her back feeling completely helpless and not to mention, hopeless as well. She couldn't help but wonder if this was how road kill felt. She barely noticed the cuts and bruises she had acquired in the fall though. All she could think was her badly bruised ego. Misty exhaled loudly, now starring past the canopy of the forest. The moon was nearly full tonight, filling the area with its pale, ghostly glow.

"What's gotten into you, Mist?" she said out loud, not caring who or what heard her. She lifted one hand to her forehead as reality began to slam her hard.

She had danced with Gary Oak, a slow, lyrical kind of waltz reserved for lovers. They stepped in sync as musical guided every action, every flourish. She felt safe, she felt wanted. And she had enjoyed it. He had tried to kiss her; he was _supposed_ to kiss her anyway. And yet, the gesture had her literally running scared. She had flipped her metaphorical lid. She had gone berserk, crazy, bonkers, nuts, bananas and everything in between. She started shouting in the middle of a crowded party over a mere technicality. And then she started to cry.

"Oh my god," she whispered again. "What is wrong with me?" she bemoaned.

A hand reached up to touch her cheek; it was still sleek with her fresh tears. She pulled her hand back to examine them. Her fingers seemed to glow with lunar radiance. She was momentarily transfixed by the image of her shining tears catching the light of the moon. It was odd how something so common seemed all of a sudden so breathtaking. Misty felt a bizarre urge to smile. Weirdly enough, something good, albeit it small, had managed to manifest itself out of this mess of a day.

She sighed as she let the hand fall back into the bed of dried leaves and twigs beneath her. She had overreacted. She knew that now. But Misty was prone to overreacting. Ever since she was young she had the tendency to fly off the handle. She was a classic example of a "fiery redhead." What Misty found truly disturbing was the fact she had been brought so easily to tears. She had not allowed herself to succumb to the watery menace for years. What had been so overwhelming that she felt the need to cry?

"_Ash replaced you," _Gary's voice was still echoing in her mind. He had spoken things she already knew in heart were true, so why did they hurt so much to hear?

_If Gary knows he replaced me, it must really be true, _she thought ruefully. For a long time she had been existing a slim margin of hope that maybe everything Ash had done she had misinterpreted. She began to remember all the lies she told herself to get through it: _Maybe he's just really busy. Maybe he can't get to a phone. Maybe he's waiting for a better time. _An anguished sound escaped her mouth. Ash hadn't been lying to her all these years; she had been lying to herself. This whole thing was her own fault and she was just now realizing it.

It was time to let him go. He didn't want her anymore and she needed to accept it.

Misty rolled on to her side and pulled her legs up to her chest. It was certainly a difficult thing to a grasp. She could barely remember a time she hadn't considered Ash as a part of her future. Giving him up was almost as hard to accept as his indifference to her. Ash was someone she had always clung to, he was the status quo. He was something that never changed. She felt like the life she had built for herself was being completely overturned. If she let go of Ash, she let go of a lot of other things too. Her past, her perfect future and what she believed to be her true love.

As she grappled with her recent revelations she forced herself to think about what had caused this whole mess the first place.

A kiss.

The absurdity of it was almost staggering. She had gotten all enflamed because of a kiss, a kiss that was going to happen anyway. She could have gotten it over with right then and there, but she chose to make a spectacle of herself. She had chosen to fly into a frenzy.

Why _should _Gary have waited anyway? They were enjoying each other's company and having a good time. If they had waited there would have been that awkward pre-kiss moment where she would have to stew in her own anxiety until he finally decided to have mercy on her. Gary's instincts had been right; it would have seemed perfectly natural to kiss after their dance and by now it would be over. A quick little kiss and then she could possibly have a nice memory of the day. It could have even been a funny anecdote she told her children. She would have been able to look back and say "Hah, remember that day when Gary Oak kissed me?" Instead she'd be remembering this day as the one of her all out mental breakdown.

Misty was forced herself to ask why she had freaked out like she had. After racking her brain, Misty was could only reach one conclusion. She was scared. She was scared she would like it. She was scared that maybe she would more than like it. For some people a kiss didn't mean much, but to Misty it was a very personal form of affection. A kiss for her could make or break a relationship. What if she found herself falling for Gary Oak because of some stupid kiss?

That thought was absolutely terrifying. It meant letting herself open to hurt again. This meant she was truly giving up on Ash. This surely meant instant and cruel rejection. After all Gary may have been paying attention to her today, but she suspected this was just how Gary Oak got his man (or woman in this case). He'd douse her with charm and affection until she couldn't possibly say no and then BAM! He'd have her on her back before she could even process what was happening. And she was sure he made for the door just as quickly.

Falling for Gary Oak was simply out of the question. It was not an option.

And yet, she couldn't help but feel guilty and bit embarrassed as well. She had lost and made such a stink about the pay off. Her conscious was telling her she needed to go back and make things right. She needed to be a big girl about this. If she wanted to walk away from this party without the memories of her petulance haunting her forever she needed to go back, apologize and let him kiss her. It was only fair.

She forced herself to sit up after a long time of being curled up on the floor of the forest. She breathed heavily, resting a forearm against her bended knee.

_I could just stay here until everyone leaves, _she thought hopefully, halting her ascent to her feet. As quickly as the thought arrived though, it was immediately dismissed. _No! No, no, no, no! _Her conscious reprimanded. _You have to go back! You behaved like an infant and you need to learn to control yourself. You have to accept your losses gracefully and swallow your insurmountable pride. _Misty frowned; sometimes she really hated having such a moral inner voice.

She tentatively got to her feet, her legs quivered slightly from the extreme stress that they had endured. She placed a hand against a nearby tree trunk to steady herself as she straightened up to her full height. She began imaging all the horrible gloating Gary was going to do when she showed her face.

"_Crawling back, eh? I'm not surprised."_

"I knew you couldn't stay away."

"While we're at it, let's stop by my place for a real good time."

She gulped. This was not going to be easy.

…_  
_

Gary Oak was baffled.

His day had started out with keeping a low profile, eating a truck load of free food and then leaving early to catch his favorite TV show on the Discovery Channel. He had so far not managed to do any of those things. What he had managed to do was completely fail at the one sure-fire thing he was good at, have a very public argument that was sure to get plenty of press coverage and worst of all he suspected he might actually like a girl for the first time in his life.

He continued to relive the events leading up to the fight, dissecting every detail as he did so. At each turn he could have just done something different. For one, he could have not tried to kiss her. For another he could have just kept his wits about him and let her yell until she was tired. She would have eventually realized how crazy he was acting and they would have worked it out. Right now they could be swapping spit. Instead he was standing alone in the middle of a crowd feeling like he had his pants around his ankles.

He was immediately aware of the awkwardness of the situation; the remaining guests had gotten quiet in order to hear what the two quarreling trainers had been saying and were now staring at him intently. He could begin to make out their hurried whispers; they were all wondering what he had done to make her cry and theorizing what the nature of their relationship was (amongst other unsavory thoughts as well). To not give them any more fodder for their gossip he calmly walked away, holding his head high, even though a battle was waging inside him as big as all of Kanto itself.

Once he was out of sight he let himself relax. He took refuge under the awning which was now alight with Mrs. Ketchum's lanterns. After his dispute with Misty most of the party goers had decided they had seen enough excitement for the night and left the party. The ones who remained retreated inside to discuss the recent feud that broken out between the most promising Pokemon researcher and the Cerulean City Gym leader. Gary wasn't particularly worried about them; he was more than used to being gossiped about. He was much more concerned for Misty, who, as far as he knew had done a relatively good job at keeping her private life just that, private.

If anything good came out of this he was grateful that the mindless sheep had a place to graze, so to speak. It meant he could finally be alone with his thoughts. The young Oak rested his back against the paneling of the Ketchum hovel. His body was tired and his mind was weary. He let himself slide down to the floor where he allowed his head to rest in on his knees. He realized how pathetic he must look right now. The great Gary Oak hunched against the side of Ash Ketchum's house looking like someone who had just crawled out of the gutter. He was sure he looked miserable. His designer jeans had become muddy and his usually impeccable hair was plastered to the side of his head with dried sweat. He wouldn't be surprised if a paparazzo jumped out of the nearby garbage can and snapped a picture; "Gary Oak: Promising Pokemon Researcher or Misogynist Bum?" would surely the be the headline in the next Daily Kanto.

One of his hands pushed its way into his mahogany hued locks. He pulled at them in frustration, trying to figure out where he had gone wrong. After all, Gary prided himself on how cool he kept it. Insults bounced right off him, arguments were his idea of a good time and he effortlessly breezed his way through the most stressful situation. It was for this reason he could not explain how riled up he felt. He felt hurt and guilty, frustrated and sorrowful, angry and hopeless all at the same time.

Gary's head instantly raised at the sound of a snapping branch, fearful someone he knew might be lurking in the shadows. He was relieved when he saw the sound was nothing more than Pidgey scavenging for any leftover crumbs the party crowd had discarded over the course of the night. He lips pulled into the smallest of grins as he reached into his pocket. He found a candy bar; there was nothing quite like refined sugar to keep you going when you had a research proposal due the next day.

The inquisitive Pokemon suddenly noticed him and began bobbing his head curiously. Gary easily pulled the wrapped from the sugary treat and took a chuck of it between his thumb and index finger. The little bird-like Pokemon waddled over smelling the deliciousness. Gary tossed the hunk of chocolate to the Pokemon who eagerly took it between its beak and scarfed down the entire piece. It cooed happily at Gary before taking off.

Gary felt distracted from his troubles for the briefest of seconds. Interacting with the Pidgey made him think about being a Pokemon trainer. He would bet he could have caught that hungry Pidgey without even battling it. He sighed as he took a bite of the remaining candy bar. He hadn't really realized how much he missing training Pokemon until today. He thought of the pudgy little Pidgey and what it could be if in his hands; a swift, mighty bird of prey, a dazzling Pigeot. His battle with Misty had proven he still had it in him. He could still be a fierce competitor.

The thoughts of the battle immediately elicited a groan from the young man's throat. He was suddenly transported back to present and the situation at hand. He was reminded why he was sitting in the mud feeling like the scum of the Earth. Misty.

He knew he had broken the rules. He had explicitly told her he was not going to act in any manner that could be flirtatious and he was just going to be himself. But he was being himself! He actually did want to kiss her! And not just because she was smokin' hot. Not just because her kiss would win him a bet with his rival. Not just because he felt it was due to him. It was simply because he wanted to and that was it.

_Maybe that worries me even more,_ he couldn't help but think. After all, the whole point of this thing was to shame Ash while simultaneously getting a chance to nail and bail on the most gorgeous girl at the party (and also Ash's would-be girlfriend). When had his goal become winning her affection genuinely? When had he decided that he didn't just want to bang her?

Gary wanted to blame it on his urge to be a perfectionist. He wanted to believe that he wanted to do the job as perfectly as he could, to truly make her "fall for him," but he knew that wasn't true. He actually liked Misty. A lot. He wouldn't mind getting to know her. He wouldn't rule out the possibility of one day asking her to be his girlfriend. He wasn't about to make any long term plans or anything, but the possibility remained. Except now he had ruined everything with one preemptive kiss.

He knew why she had reacted so violently but that didn't make him feel much better. It didn't do him any good unless she realized it for herself. Of course she was terrified of intimacy; as far as she was concerned the only man she had ever cared about had completely and totally forgotten about her. He almost wanted to tell her this wasn't true so she could just relax and open up again, but of course that would mean she would go ahead and open up to Ash, which was decidedly counterproductive for Gary.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by another snap of a branch. The pesky Pidgey was back for more. He raised his head to admonish it (he had given it a pretty big piece of his favorite candy) but was surprised to find that the source of the sound was not in fact a Pidgey at all. Instead he found himself fixated on a seafoam green open toed shoe, strapped to a dainty foot that was on the other end of long, lean leg. He swallowed hard. There was only one person who could be on the other side of that leg.

There she was.

Mrs. Ketchum's lanterns were now aglow in their full splendor. Misty looked surreal surrounded by the glimmering orbs. The colored light reflected in her hair and her eyes giving her an astral quality that Gary could only describe as breathtaking. His jaw went slack; had he been thinking about her so much that he was now having visions of her?

"Hey Gary," she said simply when the two locked eyes. He blinked a few times to make sure he was really seeing her.

He hastily got to his feet; he did not want her to see him slumped on the ground like some defeated Ratatta. He brushed off his clothes and quickly straightened up to his full height. Although he was several inches taller than she was he, for some reason, felt dwarfed by her. His throat was dry which he wasn't sure to attribute to his anxiety or the shouting from before. He coughed into his fist nervously as he tried to appear more poised than he obviously felt.

"W-What are you doing here?" he managed to say, unable to keep the disbelief out of his voice.

"I am here," she said, mustering as calm a voice as she could. "Because I have not yet kept my end of the bargain."

Gary could not help it; his eyebrows shot up so fast he thought they had lift off. "You're…you're joking right?"

Misty predicted that he would have this response and was admittedly humbled. "No, I am not," she said earnestly, shifting uneasily as she said so.

He couldn't help but be somewhat miffed with her. She had made such a federal case about him kissing her and now suddenly she was cool with it? He honestly felt a little put off. "Look you're off the hook all right," he folded his arms and averted her gaze to more clearly show his annoyance.

Misty narrowed her eyes in dismay. She had not come back all this way and swallowed her pride just to be told to take a hike. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I said," his gaze was still averted as he delivered his line slowly and punctuated. "You're off the hook."

"Listen, Gary Oak," her hands were on her hips which signaled to him that she was about to give him the business. "I did not just have huge public outburst that will probably be in the all the papers tomorrow AND cry for the first time literally years AND have intense introspective look at my flaws for nothing, okay?! Now be a man and take what you want." She took a step towards him to show she wasn't about to back down.

Gary didn't feel like backing down either, but at the same time he loved her tenacity. He wanted to remain distant with her as he felt like she deserved it but it was dimished by the still very real possibility of kissing this flamed-haired vixen. And while both these possibilities were combating in his head, another, more persisting thought stood out. More than anything else he was feeling, he was just terribly, terribly confused. She was so affronted by the thought of kissing him an hour ago and now here she was nearly demanding he do so. Gary's foremost thought: _what is up with this chick?_

"Uh - I'm little confused here," he told her honestly. "First you don't want me to kiss you and now you do. What is with you?"

Misty let out a particularly noisy sigh. "It has nothing to do with what I do or don't want," she explained. "My behavior before was – inexcusable and I am trying to be an adult right now. I lost our battle and I shouldn't have been so…uptight I guess, about the exact specifications of our arrangement. I don't why I got so worked up about it."

Gary chose to keep his thoughts to himself, but he stood by what he said before. He already knew why she had gotten all worked up. As he had already explained to her before, Misty was terrified of intimacy. To be honest it scared him a little bit too, but he'd be lying if he said it didn't also kind of give him a thrill.

"You're serious right now?" he asked slowly, as if he was still not sure.

"Yes," she nodded solemnly. "And again I'm sorry for losing my temper," she bowed her head and proceeded to look at the ground. Gary did feel himself softening; it took a lot for her to admit she had been wrong. And it wasn't like he was completely blameless either. He had, in fact been deceiving her all day to try to get in her pants and win a bet. Where exactly was the honor in that?

Of course he couldn't exactly apologize for that. Then she wouldn't let him kiss her, and he really, really wanted her to. It wasn't much, but at the very least he could apologize for being an enabler and for not being more sympathetic about her feelings. "I'm sorry I said those things," he told her sincerely.

"Yeah, me too," she replied softly. She wasn't sure what else to say and so she fell silent. Gary, for once in his life also had no retort. The words were just followed silence. The two Pokemon aficionados found themselves in a stare down as they awaited their next move. Should they keep apologizing? Should they, quite literally, kiss and make up? Should they walk away? The few moments where nothing was said was excruciating. The tension was thick like a Koffing's Smog Attack and just as suffocating.

Finally Misty managed to find her voice. "Um…I guess we should – " she began awkwardly as she nervously ran her hand through her hair.

"Are you sure?" Gary was certainly becoming an old softie these days. As much as he wanted it, when he looked at her, nervously shifting from side to side, he just felt so much guilt inside him it was almost unbearable. He had tricked her into kissing him just to win a stupid bet. She was emotionally unavailable clearly. He didn't want to kiss her if it was really going to hurt her. The violent reaction she had was perhaps a manifestation of her vulnerability; maybe it was an indication that she simply wasn't ready to let herself care about him. Maybe a kiss meant too much for her. Who knows? The way things were going maybe it would mean too much to him as well. After all, when had he worried so deeply about breaking a woman's heart? When had he worried about his own heart breaking? The dichotomy of her sweet kiss and her wounded heart had him in a bind. He could not say for sure what he wanted her to say.

"I'm giving you an opportunity to back out now," he clarified.

"I know, and I appreciate it. But I have to accept the consequences of my actions." Gary was impressed. She sounded very mature right now especially in contrast to the earlier yelling and freaking out.

"So you forgive me?" Gary did his best to look adorable; he clasped his hands and shyly turned his body away from her while looking over his shoulder innocently.

"Yes," a small, but genuine smile graced her lips. "I forgive you, Gary"

"Friends?" he asked, holding out his hand for her to shake. For a moment Misty looked at his outstretched hand like it was an alien. What an interesting question – Friends? Earlier today she would have completely rebuked the gesture and walked away disgruntled by his brash attitude. But really, was Gary Oak such a bad guy? Yes, he was pompous. Yes he was a serial womanizer. Yes he could be incredibly annoying. But was he so different from people she once called friend? Ash used to get a super ego any time he beat a gym leader. Brock used to chase after anything with a vagina. There had been days were she had wanted to smack them both over the head (and did) because they were being such pains in the asses. But they were her friends. They had been good to her. And so had Gary. In a messed up way, he had been her only friend in a long, long time.

"Sure," she said finally, her hand reached out to grasp his own. Gary smiled. Her handshake was solid and firm as any respectable person's should be, but her hands were soft and silken like rose petals. The two held the grip for perhaps a second longer than necessary before they both realized they were still holding hands. Misty quickly retracted her hand from his quickly, nervously laughing in hopes to diffuse the obvious sexual tension.

"Okay, so – uh, you ready?" she sputtered out.

Gary grinned. She wanted him to do it (or at least she would be okay if he did). He might as well enjoy it. He inhaled deeply to try and rid himself of his nerves. He could not recall a time when he had been nervous before attempting to kiss a woman. He needed to be the old Gary Oak. If Misty was okay with it, he still had every intention of winning her heart, not so much for the bet anymore but for his own selfish reasons.

"If I didn't know better," he said smoothly, approaching her slowly. "I'd say you actually wanted me to kiss you."

"As if," was all Misty could manage at this point. She hated to admit it, but in the dim lamp light, Gary looked pretty good himself. "Is there any way to make this less awkward?" she asked honestly, noting how the two of them were just sort of standing there waiting for something to happen.

She mentally cringed at the weirdness of the situation; making a date to kiss. The thing about a kiss was it was unexpected and spontaneous – well, that was the thing about a good kiss anyway.

"Well, if you insist" he said, a devious little glimmer in his eye. "Close your eyes."

Misty frowned. She hadn't expected him to make it quick, but the she had a sneaking suspicion he was going to drag the process out on purpose. "Can we _please_just get this over with?"

"Hey, I won fair and square. You said it yourself. Which means we get to do this my way," he said firmly. "Right?" He looked at her pointedly which earned him a sheepish nod. "Now close your eyes," he instructed again. This time Misty obeyed, but it didn't stop her from grumbling protests under her breath.

"Quiet," he said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I need you to be quiet for this."

"All right," he whispered in her ear. "Just relax." Misty let out a breath and let her shoulders go a little loose. What was she getting all worked up about anyway? It was just a kiss, after all. _The fact that Gary Oak is incredibly attractive really doesn't impact the situation at all, _she thought calmly. She was in denial, of course. He wasn't even doing anything and she already felt little Butterfrees floating around in her stomach.

Slowly, he inched himself towards her. He took his time, moving at a Snorlax's pace. Although Misty could not see him she could tell he was very close. He was so close, in fact, that if one of them even breathed more than usual the swell in their chest would be enough to initiate a moment of searing skin contact. His hand reached down and cupped her own. Misty felt a jolt akin to a thundershock all over her body. _Damn him, _she thought contemptuously. _Why did I agree to that stupid battle in the first place? Why didn't I generously accept a pass when he offered it to me? _A second voice countered, _Because I'm a woman of my word, that's why. _

But Misty's motives were unclear even to herself. The first voiced acknowledged a painful possibility: _Do I – do I actually want to kiss Gary Oak?_ The evil little voice was instantly countered with the sensible one. _Of course not! Why would I want to kiss that stuck up, no good, incredibly sexy - _ Misty's frowned. Her own thoughts were betraying her.

Meanwhile, as she began to get tangled in a web of her own rumination, Gary weaved his fingers between hers, savoring the feeling of her petal soft hands. As he did so, he could hear her somewhat erratic breathing on his neck. Her eyelids fluttered nervously and she was ever so gently chewing her bottom lip. Gary smiled, knowing exactly the effect he was having on her. She was fighting it, God bless her, but she would give in soon enough.

His other hand found her shoulder, as he slowly made a trail up to her neck. She gulped at the feeling of his finger pads caressing her neck and let out a noise.

"Hey!" she objected, her eyes flew open and her tempered flared. "You said a kiss! You didn't say anything about hand holding or feeling up my neck!"

"Shhh," he quieted her instantly. "A kiss is more than two pairs of lips. If you would just be quiet you would see." The humbled red head could barely muster a perfunctory nod let alone actual words. She was just dying for an excuse to run. She didn't know why this affecting her so. She found the more he held out the more she actually wanted him to kiss her. What was he doing to her? Surely this was some kind of mind game – he must have had an Alakazam somewhere casting Confusion on her.

She remained still as he continued. His hand began to leave her neck slowly trailed down and found its way to heart. _Better not drift any further_ Misty thought bitterly. _Or he's going to lose those fingers. _But he stopped there and instead felt her heartbeat. It was faster than usual. Gary leaned in. But still he did not kiss her.

"Can you feel that, Misty? Your heartbeat is fast," he said coolly. "Why would that be?" His lips were centimeters from her own. The hand on her heart moved again, slowly making its way back her neck. It found itself tangled in her fiery red hair. Gary massaged the golden tendrils and relished the way she was shivering now. Goosebumps began forming all over her body at his feather light touch. He spoke again, his lips still hovering over hers.

"Misty?" he asked her. "Do you want me to kiss you?" Misty let out a muffled sound, the tone of which was unclear. She refused to speak. She was trying very hard to not let him win; he couldn't know how he was making her feel.

"All you have to do is say you want me to and I will." he continued as he brushed a piece of hair from her face. "You just have to say the word and it'll be over."

Misty's head swam. Images began to dance before her eyes. She saw flashes of Ash and Gary in their youth – the hotheaded trainer consistently humiliated by his overly confident rival. Every time Gary showed up, he always enraged Ash Ketchum. Letting Gary kiss her now would be like a stab in the back for her best friend.

_Ash is your best friend, right? _The evil voice inside her returned. _It's a shame your best friend doesn't even have the time of day for you anymore, _its sing-song voice taunted her. _How long were you even gone before he replaced you with someone else! _Misty physically shuttered at the statement, being reminded of her breakdown from earlier. Although she had never said it, she couldn't deny that she was hurt when she found out about May. When Ash traveled to Hoenn it was like she didn't even exist anymore. He had forgotten about her the way he had forgotten about other friends – Butterfree, Pigeot, Charizard, Squirtle and countless others.

She knew he had the best intentions. After all, if you love someone enough, you should be able to let them go and be free. But the worst is how today – after such a long period of time – he didn't have the decency to even say hello to her. What was she, after all this time? Just some girl he used to know?

_You agreed to let him go,_ she reminded herself. _You're not betraying him, he's betraying you. _

As part of Misty's mind waged over her relationship with Ash, the other was fixed on the matter at hand: Gary Oak. She daresay she wanted desperately to kiss him, part of her just wanted it to be over and another party was undeniably curious about what it would be like. Of course, she knew if she said yes, she was playing right into his hands. Gary probably loved the idea of getting her to cave especially after the way she had consistently spurned his advances. It would be like coaxing a legendary pokemon into a pokeball after battling with it for hours. She was his legendary pokemon.

"Well," he persisted, the heat of his breath licking the column of her neck. "What do you say?"

"I – " Misty continued to struggle. "I just – " one finger gently silenced her as brushed over her lips.

"Misty," he said again. "Just a yes or a no," he insisted. "Do you, Misty Waterflower, Leader of the Cerulean City gym, Master of Water Pokemon and," he paused momentarily to drink in her obvious arousal. "The most beautiful woman it has been my pleasure to battle, want me, Gary Oak, to kiss you?" his voice was melodic and tempting like Jigglypuff's song.

_When did that happen? _Misty seemed to recall the young Pokemon trainer having a nasally voice. And when had he gotten so attractive? That chestnut hair, sticking up at all angles like he just got of bed (though Misty was relatively certain this was a polished look that required much time in the mirror to pull off), those dark brown eyes that rivaled the loneliness of a Cubone's. His strong hands that caressed her own, his toned arms that she wanted to be lost in. _Get a grip, Misty_, she berated herself. _You can't let him win!_

But it was too late. The battle was lost. Her knees were weak and her whole body was shaking now. She was certain she was moments away from fainting anyway. Why suffer any longer? Gary Oak had her cornered. She only need sit back and wait for him to deal the final blow. The K.O.

"Yes."

His lips were on hers before she even finished the word. She wanted him. He had won. But the bet with Ash seemed very far away. The only thing he wanted right now was to make love to this goddess. Gary, like his Pokemon training would suggest, didn't do anything half way. He was determined for this to be the most intoxicating kiss he'd ever planted on a woman. His arms crushed her body to his; she was soft, making him eager to pull her closer than was physically possible. One hand pressed in the flesh of her back, open palmed and needy to feel her skin beneath. The other on the back of her head, buried in her silken strands pushing her lips urgently towards his own.

Misty was not passive in this endeavor. As soon as she felt him kiss her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and let her fingers become tangled in his chestnut locks. There was an urgency to her kissing, a desperation. The two battled wildly for control, but neither would relinquish. Their tongues were combatants of sorts, two Dratinis thrashing for dominance.

In an effort to gain the upper hand, Gary hoisted Misty into the air. She in turned wrapped her legs around him as her hands found his face and desperately pulled him closer to her. He whirled her around and none to gently pushed her up again the side paneling of the Ketchum's house. Gary sincerely hoped no one was still inside because he was sure it must have sounded like a herd of Tauros.

Misty began to get dizzy; she needed air. She tore her lips from his and drank in the night air. He wasn't discouraged by this momentary pause; he began to trail hot kisses down her neck. Misty inhaled sharply. No one had ever made her feel like this. No one had ever set her whole body on fire like a Moltres.

At the sound of her, he pulled away to look into her eyes. A smoldering stare rapidly dissolved once more into more furious kissing. Misty was sure her lips would be bruised tomorrow; the way he bit her bottom lip was making her crazy. She let her hands slide down to rest on his chest. It was all she could to not tear his shirt off.

As the minutes passed their kisses began to change. What started out as burning and passionate became soft and sweet after the initial eruption. He found himself gently pressing his lips to different parts of her face; her cheeks, her jaw, her eyes. He wanted to kiss every inch of her face.

How much time had passed since? How long had it been since she uttered that single syllable? It felt like an eternity and at the same time no time at all? Was this even really happening?

A sound brought Gary back reality. In the distance, the minute hand on the Pallet Town clock tower finally struck midnight. Twelve bells signaled to the sleepy town it was the start of a new day. Gary would normally have not paid it any mind, but suddenly he remembered! A forlorn Ash was sitting on the banks of the river, probably skipping stones, wondering if Misty was going to come. Ash had been waiting years to tell his best friend that he was in love her. He may never get the chance again.

Gary honestly wondered when he had gotten so soft. The way he had been acting was completely out of character for him. Perhaps it was Misty. Perhaps she simply had that effect on him. After all, this afternoon he was doing everything he could to knock the wind out of Ash Ketchum's metaphorical sails. And right now, Gary was contemplating doing the exact opposite. He was considering doing something very uncharacteristic of Gary Oak. Maybe it's because, for once, he had an inkling of how Ash Ketchum felt. He recognized how special Misty Waterflower was and suddenly it didn't seem fair to have her. Ash had loved her for years; Gary was just discovering his feelings for her now.

He pulled away from her with great difficulty. Her eyes were still closed and he examined her fluttering eyelashes. They were red, like her hair and were catching the light from the lanterns. She was beautiful. She was beautiful and smart and talented and so much more. She was everything he had been missing. And he couldn't have her.

"Misty," his voice sounded loud in the silence to her. Her eyes dreamily opened and she peered at the man she had been kissing. "I have to tell you something."

Those were words that always meant something serious about to happen. She had heard them before nearly ever life changing moment in her life. She could recall vividly the first time someone had ever said it to her.

_She was very young, barely old enough to talk when her sisters woke her up in the middle of night. Although the hands on her were gentle, little Misty awoke with a start. She was surprised when she noticed her older sisters crowded around her. They were illuminated from the light of her hanging Staryu lamp that had a light bulb where its shimmering gemstone would normally be. She quickly deduced it was still nighttime. The little girl was wrapped in a cocoon of her cerulean blue comforter with dancing Seel and Dewgongs all over it. Misty was sure this paraphernalia had started her love affair with Water Pokemon. _

"_Hey there, Mist," said an unusually sweet Daisy Waterflower. It was not that her sisters were mean to her, but more that they were __**really**__ mean to her. Since was so little they were able to use their greater pre-teen strength to get her to do whatever they want. Frequently they would hold her down to try make up on her. They would sometimes take her out for strolls to see if they could barter for free things (the vendors just loved ruffling her cute little crop of ginger hair). Sometimes they would even hold her hostage under a laundry basket until she gave in to their demands. _

"_Hi," the droopy-eyed little girl replied sleepily. She clutched her stuffed Squirtle doll in her hands a little tighter, her head against resting against its soft turtle shell. _

"_Hey sweetie," Daisy brushed a little lock of orange fluff out of Misty's face. "We're sorry to wake you up, but uh – " The blonde faltered momentarily, unsure of how to make the girl understand. "Well, we have to tell you something," she nodded to the two other Waterflowers, Violet and Lily. _

"_And we know you'll handle it like a big girl," Violet said reassuringly as she stroked her baby sister's head. She tentatively took a seat on the edge of Misty's bed next to Daisy and motioned for the other sister to join her. Lily, however, looked at as though she had no intention of getting any closer. In fact as far as Misty could tell, Lily looked like Misty did when her sister's sat on her and took her candy. Lily looked like she was going to cry. _

"_The point is Misty," Daisy tried to say, but she was overcome as soon as she started. "The point is - " she let stifled a sound that was somewhere between a sob and a sigh. She immediately pulled a hand to her mouth to hold it in as she let Violet put her arm around her comfortingly. _

_Misty didn't cry. She still didn't know what was going on. She could tell whatever it was though, it must have been bad. Really bad. _

"_Misty, come here will you?" Daisy motioned for Misty to come over to her. Misty obliged, pushing aside her sheets to crawl into her eldest sister's lap. Daisy rhythmically stroked the fraying hairs on Misty's head as she cooed, "Who's a good girl? Who's a good girl?"_

_Misty wasn't sure why she was getting so much attention. Of course, they had their rare moments of sorority, but most of the time it was Lily, Violet and Daisy versus the runt as they had affectionately dubbed her. She couldn't even remember a time when they hugged her so much and talked so sweetly to her. _

_"I want Mommy," Misty said earnestly. The way her sisters were acting was making Misty nervous. Something weird was clearly going on and she knew she'd feel better if her mother was gently rocking Misty in her arm._

"_I know baby, I know," Violet reassured. "Mommy and Daddy love you very much, you know that right?" Misty's tiny head bobbed, her short carrot colored hair flapping wildly. _

"_Well," Daisy said against already forming tears. "Mommy and Daddy aren't coming home tonight," she said as she ran a hand through her sister's hair. _

"_They're not ever coming home." _

"Misty?" Gary's voice brought her back to reality. She gulped audibly; she hadn't thought about that day in years.

"Uh yeah," Misty's eyes refocused on Gary. She hadn't realized it, but her flashback had brought a glazed look over her face.

"Listen," he said seriously, grasping both of her shoulders firmly to hold her attention. "You know how Ash hasn't spoken to you all day?" he asked cautiously, regretting deeply what he was about to do, but refusing to turn back.

"Yeah," said the dubious red head slowly. She wasn't sure if it was the brief trip down memory lane, but suddenly she was having trouble processing simple sentences. "H - How do you know about that?" she pieced her thoughts together finally.

"Well – " he paused. It wasn't too late! He didn't have to say anything. _Do it! _He urged himself. _You'll regret it if you don't._ "He wanted me to give you a message."

Misty's head tilted sideways, a curiosity sparkling in her eyes now. _Why would Ash send Gary to give me a message?_

"He wanted me to tell you," he looked away from her, suddenly unable to bare her piercing gaze. He was sure if she looked into his eyes they would betray him; they would all but shout, _Stay here, be with me! _And Gary had already made up his mind. He was going to do the right thing. Even if it killed him.

"He wanted me to tell you that they reason he's been avoiding you all day is because he's been planning a surprise for you. He didn't want to risk exposing it by talking to you. And he asked me to - to - he wanted me to - " his confidence failed him as he chanced to look at her. She looked confused. She looked almost a little hurt. But more than anything she looked hopeful. She had been waiting for the next sentence for nearly a decade. He knew he couldn't possibly make her wait any longer.

"He wants you to meet him where you first met, by the River between here and Viridian City I think he's got something important to tell you." Gary exhaled audibly. That was way harder than anything he had ever done. And he had decoded the genome of several different pokemon and figured out the perfect ratio of peanut butter to jelly.

For a moment Misty didn't answer. A million thoughts were speeding through her head and she could not make sense of a single one. _Ash wants to meet me? He wants to tell me something? Why did he wait? Why didn't he tell me himself? Why did Gary wait so long to tell me this? Why Gary of all people? What the hell is going on? _

"Wh – I don't – how did you – " Misty couldn't seem to form a coherent sentence. She couldn't help but feel like she was being punk'd. She was sure someone was going to appear from a nearby bush and exclaim "We gotcha good!" Secretly, that's what she was hoping would happen. She wasn't sure how many life altering realizations she could take in one day.

"Are - Are you joking?"

"No I am not. Believe it or not, this is perhaps the most serious I've ever been in my whole life," he could tell even after his solemn delivery she was skill skeptical. "He really did ask me to tell you," he reached out a hand to touch her shoulder. It somehow seemed like it would reassure her, but it had only succeeded in making him regret his decision even more than he already was.

She glanced over at his hand which made him second guess his decision even more. He removed his hand hastily and shoved it in his pocket.

The awkwardness of the gesture went unnoticed by Misty. "Why? I don't understand."

Once again, Gary attempted skirt the question. "Listen, it's getting late. If you wait much longer he's not going to be there."

"But why did you – why did you take so long to tell me?"

He gave a casual shrug. "I thought it would be a nice surprise after having to kiss me. Something to look forward to," he joked in attempt to lighten the mood. But Misty did not laugh, nor did he really. She just continued to stare up at him with those curious orbs.

"But you – I mean we - " He had pretty good idea what she was going to say. She was probably going to ask why, if he had this important news with him all day and knew it was time sensitive, had he kissed her like he did? If he had the intention of delivering the message effectively, he should have made it quick and sent her on his way. But he deliberately dragged it out. The only accounting for that was a) he didn't have any intention of telling her because b) he was out to seduce her for the sake of winning a bet. Gary decided it was probably for the best if she didn't find out either of those things.

"You better hurry," he said suddenly. "He's going to think you stood him up." He purposely looked anywhere else but at her face because he knew what he was going to see anyway; her useless attempt at understanding what was happening to her.

Misty knew she should be happy. Ash hadn't been talking to her all day for a reason and he wanted to see her. He would explain everything away. But she had just convinced herself to leave him behind. She had just convinced herself to move on. And she had just allowed herself to have possibly the most amazing kiss of her life that may or may not have made her literally weak at the knees. Amongst her jumbled thoughts were a thousand expletives cursing her timing.

"O-Okay I guess," she gave a weak wave and started to turn away from him. As she did so, she couldn't help but feel strange. She almost wanted him to reach out his hand again, but this time to stop her. She paused for a moment, waiting for it to happen, but it never came. She was just standing with her back to him feeling like an idiot. "I'll…I'll see you around," her voice completely devoid of any emotion.

"Yeah see you," he said weakly, doing an equally pathetic wave that she could not see because she was already walking away. Gary watched her go again, this time probably for good. She was going to go find Ash by the river, he was going confess that he loved her and she was probably going to cry with joy and they'd run off together. In a few months he'd be getting their wedding invitation and in a few years news would spread about their many, many babies and their terrific sex life. The whole situation was more than he could stomach. Gary turned to the nearest wall and slammed his head against it.

"Fuck me."

...

To Be Continued.


	5. Part V

**Author's Note: **Sorry about the delay. No excuses, I just finally got motivated!  
**  
Game**  
Part V

Ash checked his watch again. The tiny Mr. Mime hands pointed mockingly at the twelve and six; it was almost half past and still there was no sign of Misty. He threw a hopeful glance over his shoulder for what was possibly the hundredth time, but he was greeted with the same darkness he'd been staring into for the last hour. He had not moved from that spot since he arrived except to sit down when his legs started to give out. Now, the Pokemon Master, who earlier today was on top of the world, was currently hunched over, head in between his knees, by a swampy, dingy riverbed; he was pretty sure he saw used condom float by him.

The anxiety of waiting was absolutely killing him. It felt like there was a Snorlax sitting on his chest. He felt like a Machamp had his heart squeezed between its meaty fingers. He was sure he was too young to be having cardiac problems, but he somehow felt that if he went to the Pokemon Center, Nurse Joy would tell him he was suffering from a sudden onset of heart disease or some other blibbity blobble. He thwacked his forehead roughly in frustration. He wouldn't be surprised if he just keeled over right there. This notion suddenly produced a very vivid image of his lifeless corpse on the river bank, no one noticing because, back at home, everyone was too busy congratulating Gary and Misty on their engagement.

The very idea made him want to literally vomit. He grabbed his stomach and gently rolled onto his side as he attempted to push such vile and unwanted thoughts from his brain. However, the harder he tried to push them out of his mind, the more they pushed their way in.

His mind conjured images of Misty in a beautiful, backless wedding gown, completely made of satin and trimmed with lace. There was a flowing mermaid tail at the back of it and her fragile flowing veil cascaded out of a silvery tiara. She was beautiful and graceful and poised just as in real life. Her delicate, gloved hand was outstretched and clasping the hand of a mysterious figure, whose features Ash could not make out. They were the only two people (besides Ash's presence) in an unknown verdant valley. Above, a canopy of willows trees draped themselves over Misty's head, and below there were miles of ever-stretching greenery brimming with a wealth of wildlife. The flowers dotted the countryside had created symphony of blues, yellows, reds and pinks Of course, the most lovely flower was the Waterflower herself.

When Ash got closer, he could see Misty's face for the first time. Her cerulean eyes sparkled with joy when she looked to her groom, who was now revealed to be a perfectly dressed and always handsome Gary Oak. Somewhere, a disembodied voice in a dulcet baritone declared that Gary could now kiss his bride. In Ash's mind Gary looked right at him, a wicked little grin across his smug lips and said, "Looks like I win again."

An angry yell cut through the night air so suddenly that a few sleeping Pidgeys abruptly took off into the night. With no person around to hear it, Ash continued to yell and yell until he finally needed to breath. Ash breathed heavily as he tried to control the anger and resentment that were now coursing through his veins. He still couldn't believe, no matter all the advantages he had this time, Gary had beaten him once again.

_Seriously?! _Ash thought in frustration. _How did he do it? How could he have tricked her like that? _Ash slowly began to sit up again and let out a long sigh. The confused, sorrowful young man plucked a small flat rock near his foot. He rolled it over in his hand and marveled at how perfectly smooth it was. Smooth like Misty's skin – which he was now certain Gary had his hands all over. An enraged snarl escaped Ash's lips; suddenly the tiny smooth rock flew the air and hit the water with a satisfying plop, never to be seen again. _How could I have just stood by and let it happen? _He fumed angrily. He really couldn't be mad at Misty. He was the one to blame for everything.

"This is all my fault," he whispered.

"What's your fault?" Ash jumped up at the sound of someone else's voice. In his shock, he stood up too quickly and his feet slid out from under him sending the young man into the slickened mud below. It was promptly followed by a sickening squish. But Ash could not be bothered with the fact that his entire front was now stained with mud, or the fact that he was literally lying face down in it. In front of him, a vision stood.

"Oh Ash," Misty looked at him with her sympathetic eyes, like he was some poor little injured Pokemon in need of her tender loving care.

"Misty?!" he said disbelievingly. He couldn't believe it. She was standing there, right in front of him, just like in his vision. If he didn't know better, he'd think she had gotten more beautiful since he had last seen her. Her silhouette was outlined by a dusting of moon beams like she was some sort of ethereal goddess. He tried to regain him composure by scrambling to his feet. He did not make much progress, his legs flailed wildly as he tried to gain traction on the wet, muddy bank.

Misty could see his struggling and she felt her irritation with him melt away. He was the same as when she had left him. Ash was getting into trouble and making a mess and she was there for him. She approached him cautiously; he had given up on maintaining any sort of dignity and was now on his knees panting like a Growlithe. She knelt down and gingerly took a hold of his arm. A piece of her hair brushed against his mud caked face and he felt a fresh surge of wooziness. He was sure he was dreaming and he was honestly terrified of waking up.

Misty helped her old friend to his feet slowly, his legs began to tremble slightly during the ascent but she maintained her hold on him. When she was sure he was all right, she stepped back to look at him. His shirt and the front of his jeans look like Rorschach test and he had pieces of leaves and twigs hanging off of him. He was taller than she remembered, and even a bit more muscular but his face was still sweet and innocent as the day she left him. He was staring at her with his probing brown eyes as though she were some sort of apparition.

"Is that really you?" his voice seemed small, even to him. She had the ability to empower and completely weaken him at the same time. He still could not make sense of it.

"Yes, Ash," a sad smile overtook her features as she gently brushed some stray strands of grass from his shoulders. She looked up at him again and patted his face softly. "It's really me."

Nervous laughter bubbled between his lips. "I'm so relieved you came," he made a motion to embrace her and then chanced to look down at his ruined his attire. He gave a weak chuckle that she returned. Because he could not take her in his arms he opted to reach for her delicate hands. With her much smaller hands in his grasp he was suddenly aware of the stark contrast of their skin; his was already tan and looked positively brown from the dried dirt. Hers was almost as white as snow and looked even more so near his mud stained hands.

"I was worried you weren't going to make it," he confessed truthfully.

"Yes, well. I came as soon as I got the message," she gave a shrug and a weak smile. "What's this all about?" she said seriously.

"Geez, Misty, where do I even begin?" Her abrupt arrival completely erased any poise or grace he had managed to cultivate before. His speech, his ultimate confession of love, which he had been practicing for months, was now a jumble of words that his brain could no longer process. He felt like all his thoughts and feelings were in English but for some reason his mouth could only speak Japanese.

"I have been trying to think of the right way to say this for years. But you know me. You know that I have never been good at – at saying things. See! Like right there!" he gestured to himself as he gave a weak chuckle. No Ash had never been particularly articulate, but he always spoke directly from the heart. And right now, that seemed to be more important.

"I wish I could explain to you what you've meant to me all these years. I know I didn't always show how much I cared about you, but you have to believe me when I tell you that I've thought about you every day since we parted. I've been able to finally make sense of everything, Misty. The time away has really allowed me to see what you've done for me since we met." He took a beat to draw in a big breath. For all the incredible challenges he had overcome – defeating the Elite Four, becoming a Pokemon Master, fulfilling his lifelong dream – they paled in comparison to the one he faced now.

"You've been able to build me up when I needed support while you so effortlessly managed keep me in line when my head got too big. You were the first person – well besides my mom – who ever believed in me. I mean, I was just a stupid ten-year old kid with a dream and you followed me to the ends of the Kanto and back. We were able to laugh and to cry together. We've experienced the greatest of victories and the worst of defeats and that's more than I can say for anyone else. Save maybe Brock, of course." He chuckled nervously at his feeble attempt to make a joke.

"What I'm trying to say, Misty, is we've been friends for so long. Best friends," he clarified. "And I love you terribly."

If she had been holding something it would have dropped. She felt her entire body go numb."What?"

"I love you Misty. I always have and I always will."

Misty could not be sure, but she had the feeling her heart had stopped beating completely. The sounds of the rushing water over the rocks and the chittering of the insect Pokemon nearby became deaf in her ears. Her vision blurred as if time was slowing down; her thoughts halted, her mind was molasses. Nothing seemed real to her anymore. In fact Misty was quite certain the whole day had been nothing more than a dream. A dizzying, horrific, yet electrifying dream. And somehow, with all that had happened, nothing seemed more surreal to her today than what was happening right now. Not the persistence of professional playboy Gary Oak, not him trying to diagnose her psychoses, not the intense Pokemon battle with him, not the delicate waltz they performed and not even the searing kisses they exchanged. THIS was the most shocking of all.

The words she had been waiting a decade to hearing were finally upon her ears and she could not have been more confused. The feeling of exhilaration was fiercely combated with anger and sadness all at the same time. Yes he loved her, finally she knew the truth – but why had he waited until now? Why had he let her agonize over the situation for literally years before telling her? If he loved her so much, why had he allowed her to feel so forgotten and alone?

And then another betraying thought occurred to Misty. _What about Gary?_ A rueful voice countered, _Yes what __**about**__ Gary?_ Misty could not deny any longer that whatever their past experiences had been like that there had been a spark today. She had resisted it as hard as she tried, but after the kiss there was no denying she had obvious chemistry with the bachelor of all bachelors.

_You don't owe him anything_, the voice in her head persisted. _He does this sort of thing every day, you're nothing special. You honestly think you could be in a relationship with Gary Oak? You think a mutual attraction means anything other than that? _

Misty had to admit that her sensible side had a point. Besides – he didn't want a relationship with her! He was Gary Oak and Gary Oak didn't ever just have one woman. Even if the attraction was reciprocated, it didn't really mean anything. After all, if Gary had really wanted her he wouldn't have sent her away. But of course that begged the question – what had he wanted in the first place? _  
_  
"I don't understand," she said truthfully. Her voice was shaky and unsure, which was unusual for Misty. After all, Misty was outspoken, opinionated and was usually very articulate and confident. Hearing her sound like a frightened child unnerved Ash; he was beginning to feel as though he had overloaded her senses without meaning to.

"Why have you been so distant with me the last few years? Why have you been so distant with me today? Do you have any idea what I've been going through? Why did you wait so long to tell me?" She demanded. He could hear her voicing breaking. She couldn't help it. The overwhelming amount of feelings the raged inside her caused angry, happy and sad tears to comingle in her tear ducts. They spilled from her eyes forming small rivers of distress down her ivory cheeks.

She hastily turned her back to him; her pride would not allow her to see her face as she began to break down for the second time that day. The startled Ash Ketchum began to realize he really had dropped a bombshell on her. He had practiced that speech so many times in his head and yet he had never predicted it would end like this He had prepared himself for her joyful acceptance or her bitter refusal, but not this.

He quickly closed the gap between them; the dirt suddenly seemed insignificant. His hands found her shoulders and spun her to face him. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her cheeks fresh with the sheen of newly fallen tears and her nose red like a Magmar. She let out a noisy sob when she realized he was staring at her contorted, wet, puffy face . All he could see was the most beautiful woman in the world and her heart was broken.

He pulled her into his embrace and held her as tightly as he could. Misty reacted instantly, her arms flew around him savoring the feel of his warmth of his body against his. She didn't care if she was supposed to be furious with him; she only know she had longed for this moment for half her life. Her choked sobs continued, muffled by his chest as he stroked her hair.

"I know I was so dumb, I know!" his own voice hitched in his throat. "Believe me, I ask myself that every day! I think that I wanted to give you everything Misty. I wanted to feel I deserved you. I wanted so much to reach the top so I could be worthy of you. I became a Pokemon Master and now I can give you everything. A house, all the wonderful things you've ever wanted and all the love that's in this poor fool's heart." He slowly pulled away from her to meet her eyes. He was not disappointed. The words allowed Misty red, swollen eyes to peer up at him. Once he was rewarded with her tender gaze, he allowed himself to drop on one knee and gently grasped her hands in his. He looked up at her with his big brown eyes. "Please give me everything _I've_ ever wanted. Say you'll be with me."

Misty couldn't help herself. "You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that," she said tearfully.

The Pokemon Master couldn't help it; the corners of his lips tugged into a smile. "So you do love me?" he said hopefully.

"I – I - I do, but – " she struggled to complete her thought. She did love him – she had loved him for most of her life but for some reason she could not supply him with a definitive yes. "But this is – I just – I'm feeling like - " she could not find the words for what she was feeling exactly? Neglected? Conflicted? Shocked? Confused? All would be right and still they weren't enough.

"I understand you're overwhelmed," he informed her gently, as one of his hands reached up to cup her chin. "If you need some time I will wait. I'll wait forever if I have to," he said emphatically.

_Maybe ten years would be enough,_ a thought voiced bitterly. Misty tried to ignore her own negativity though. She couldn't say for sure but she suspected Ash had been hurting as much as she had.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, of course you can," he tenderly pushed a piece of her crimson colored mane behind her ear. He liked to see her face and she was always letting her hair fall in front of it. "What is it?" he pursued when he noticed her hesitation.

"If you were planning all this today, why did you go out of your way to not talk to me? I mean, I know that Gary said something about it – that you were planning this surprise, but something about it still doesn't make sense to me. I mean you literally ran when you saw me."

"I want to say it's because I wanted this moment to be more special, but it's not the truth, Misty. And I want you to know the truth. I care about you too much. I never want you to have to doubt me again. It's the very least you deserve." He inhaled deeply; Misty knew whatever he was going to say was going to be difficult for both of them.

"The truth is, part of the reason I was avoiding you all day – well all of the reason really – was because of Gary?"

"What?"

Misty was not sure what she was expecting. She theorized maybe he had second thoughts and got cold feet. She thought maybe it was something to do with nerves – fear of rejection even. But Gary?! How had Gary managed to get himself tangled in this part of her life too?

"Uggh," Ash sighed wearily recalling the events from earlier that day. "I made this really stupid bet with him. You see, he found out I was going to tell you how I felt about you. It's just – you know him!" Just the thought of Gary caused a nerve to throb aggressively near Ash's temple. A hand flew to his hair as he pulled on the ebony strands in frustration.

"He was acting so arrogant, you know and it was my party! I lost touch with reality for a moment. He kept saying how he could get with any girl at the party. And I just wanted so badly for him to realize that he couldn't. I wanted him to know there were some people who would not give him the time of day. So when it came time for me to choose someone…well I - I chose you. A-a-and until the bet was over I agreed not to speak to you." Ash started out strong and sincere, but by the end he realized just how terrible the whole thing sounded and his nerve began to fail.

"You what?" Misty's disbelief was only matched by her rising anger.

Suddenly everything made sense. She felt her blood boiling as she was reminded how Gary had tricked her at every turn. Images flashed before Misty's eyes in rapid succession all depicting every lie Gary Oak had told her. Him offering her his black silk blazer, pretending to be gentlemanly. Him trying to commiserate with her over the loss of their parents to establish a mutual link. The stakes of their bet – the only sure fire way to her to kiss him. The dance he used to sweep her off her feet. And the kiss, to put the nail in the coffin so to speak. He had been playing her all day.

Misty's anger became tenfold when she realized how foolishly she had fallen for every single trick. As much as she had tried to avoid it, as clever as she thought she was, as guarded as her heart was she had fallen for it. He had been lying to her all day.

_Isn't it possible I've matured since then?_

_It's just a kiss..._

_Maybe I just like you. _

All lies.

And as angry as she was at herself and at Gary for playing her like a fiddle, she could not believe Ash had been the one to instigate it. He had been the one to let it all happen.

"I can't believe it." Her voice was soft, but Ash could tell she was about to erupt. "I mean I just don't believe it. You mean to tell me that this whole day, Gary Oak has been following me around, goading me, teasing me, just because of some STUPID, ASININE BET?"

Ash reflexively shut his eyes as he braced himself for the storm that was Misty's rage. But the onslaught of expletives never came. There was just silence. Ash finally willed himself to open his eyes the tiniest bit; he was still bracing himself for a delayed attack. However, when he opened he just saw Misty, staring at him. Her eyes were wide, her brow was furrow, her lips trembling slightly, her fists were clenched. Ash could only perceive one thing she was feeling. Complete and utter betrayal.

"Ash, how could you do that to me?" The hurt in her voice was cutting. She was not shouting anymore, like he expected to her. Ash had been on the receiving end of Misty's infamous temper on more than one occasion and she did not usually deal with anger like this. Somehow this was ten times worse. At least when she had an outburst he knew what to expect.

"How could you let him do that to me? How could you just stand by idly while he lied to me?"

"I know how dumb it sounds, but I just knew you wouldn't fall for any of his tricks. I knew you were the only one who could resist him. I just wanted to beat him so bad. I'm sorry, I should have never used you like that. I was completely piggish of me and worst of all it ruined what should have been the best day of our lives." He sniffed noisily and cast his eyes downward, knowing full well he was close to tears himself. When he really thought about it, he had done something unforgivable.

"But it's not all bad," he tried to say with a hint of optimism, remembering that Misty was in fact with him and not with Gary. "You did resist him, just like I knew you would."

Misty raised a single eyebrow. "How do you know that?" she questioned. Why would Ash think that? Because she hadn't resisted him at all – THAT was the problem.

"Because you're here right now," Ash couldn't suppress a smile as he said it. Just the fact that she was with him, regardless of the situation, made his heart swell. "Gary said if he lost, he would tell you to meet me and here you are."

If Misty was confused before, nothing could compare to what she was feeling now.

"He – what?"

"That was the end deal – if he won I couldn't talk to you for the rest of night! You probably would've gone back to Cerulean City thinking I was a huge jerk – not that I'm not. But you would've thought that I didn't care about you and not answered any of my phone calls. And maybe I would've never seen you again!" These thoughts had just occurred to Ash Ketchum now. He noted grimly, he had realized this was a possible outcome, he would have **never** made that bet in first place.

"But if he lost he promised he'd tell you to meet me here so I could explain what a huge ass I am. And here I am. A huge ass who is begging your forgiveness."

_But Gary did win, _Misty thought bitterly. _He got me. He knew he did._ _So why am I here? _

Misty was feeling so many things at once. On the one hand she loved Ash. But she was also furious with him completely disregarding her feelings, allowing her to feel so completely alone and making her the object of some childish, silly, little bet. She could not say which emotion outweighed which. On the flip side there was Gary Oak. He had been turning on the charm all day to seduce her for the sake of showing up his childhood rival. Her made her fall for him when she had tried so hard not to. But…he hadn't followed through. Why did that misogynistic, arrogant bastard have to go and do something noble? It suddenly made Misty's anger feel less justified.

"Ash…I really need to think about this." Misty suddenly had trouble looking at him now. She wanted to be mad, but looking into his eyes, his huge hopeful brown eyes, and seeing his crooked smile made it difficult. Instead she found herself inspecting her fingernails as she tried to put into words all the things Ash had done without even realizing.

"I mean – you completely dehumanized me. You turned me into a thing that could be manipulated. Now I feel like I was some kind of sideshow attraction the whole day– _Come see Misty as she tries to spurn the advances of a douchebag._ All I wanted from today was spend it with you, but now **because of you **I spent it being tricked and lied to." Misty decided to gloss over the part where she, for a moment, believed she might care for Gary. It was probably the largest source of her mental anguish, but she didn't want Ash knowing that. For some reason, she liked being this pillar of resilience that could not be moved. She did not want to disappoint him as he had disappointed her.

And as angry as she was with him, she did not want Ash to know she had a moment of weakness. She did not want him to know that she had fallen for the deceit and the lies if he didn't have to. That would just make everything ten times worse. Besides, he already felt bad enough and Misty thought him knowing that he truly lost the bet was not something that he needed to know. Ash was content thinking she spent the afternoon telling Gary Oak to buzz off (which she really should have, in retrospect).

Although she liked to see herself as someone who, even in times of great grief, was capable of mercy and kindness it was more than that. Her pride would simply not allow her to reveal anything.

"As if that wasn't enough, you made me think that I was crazy for still caring about you. You made me feel alone and abandoned. I was ready to give up on you, for Mew's sake! And then you stand here and tell me that you felt this way all this time. I mean, I just don't know Ash. It's…going to be hard to forget," she said truthfully.

"I understand, I do. I acted like a complete idiot and I would understand if you never spoke to me again."

Misty didn't want to get ahead of herself. She was angry. She was sad. She was full of a lot of other confusing emotions. She knew full well make decisions under extreme duress never worked out for anyone. She didn't want to permanently end communication with Ash because he was immature and made a mistake. That wasn't going to solve anything.

"I just – I need some time to sort some things out," she said frankly. "I need to figure out if I can forgive you for this and even if I can if it's wise to pursue any kind of relationship with you."

"Oh okay," the Pokemon Master replied softly. It had not been the answer he had been hoping for, but he was fully aware that he deserved every bit of Misty's scorn. "Are you going back to Cerulean City?" he asked forlornly, in some dim hope that she would remain in Pallet until her choice was made up.

"Yes, I have to." The insanity of the day had completely wiped Misty's mundane, trivial little tasks she had to accomplish from her mind. She suddenly remembered the excruciating minutia of each insignificant little chore. When she got back she was going to clean the pool, rotate the Pokemon, file some accumulating paperwork, schedule a meeting with Pokemon League with the added bonus of having to start battling again. She hadn't realized it, but as exhausting as her day had been, it was certainly the most exciting one she had had in a long time. "But – but I promise once I've sorted things out you will hear from me."

Ash nodded. He understood. After all, he had put her on hold for years for his career and she had to do the same. He did not feel resentful, merely disappointed.

"Goodbye Misty," he took one her hands in his kissed it, while he held her stare. He lowered her hand but still did not let go of it. Misty's eyes were drawn down to their clasped hands and up again at his lingering gaze. He had this look on his face that Misty could not exactly pinpoint. She knew it was familiar; a sort of wistful, sorrowful look but also determined and resolute. She had seen that face in the mirror before. It was a face she had when she was about to do something serious.

Ash was about to do something serious.

…

Gary Oak's eyes glazed blankly at the screen in front of him. In the last two hours he had managed to create four measly sentences about the combined Heterotrophic and Autotrophic behavior of grass-type Pokemon. At least half of that time he spent staring at his last sentence; _Although much is still unknown about the behavior of these creatures, it is can be determined that the majority of Grass Type Pokemon are more reliant on the use of primary production than was formerly concluded. _The characters on the screen looked foreign, almost like it was some sort of alien language in need of decryption. His fingers remained poised over the keyboard in case some burst of ingenuity came to life, but it never did. The young man's shoulders slumped forward in a distinctly non-Gary Oak –like manner as he sighed loudly to himself. And few strands of his hair billowed gently and fell across his careworn face as his finger lightly tapped the "m" key absentmindedly.

Gary could hardly remember a time when he had so much trouble focusing on his work. After all, he loved Pokemon. He loved observing Pokemon. He loved interacting with Pokemon. But most of all, he loved _learning_about Pokemon. The fact that he could study them at his leisure and people would throw money at him for doing just that was a dream come true. But in the weeks following Ash's celebratory bash, Gary felt himself distracted. He had not written a single decent thing since and to boot he had become sloppy in the laboratory. His grandfather had a fit when he found out about Gary's little mishap with the trash compactor. Suffice it to say, not only had Gary almost lost a hand, but he suspected he may have lost a little of his grandfather's respect

He simply had not been himself.

That's not to say Gary did not know the source of this irregularity. As a matter of fact, Gary knew all too well why he was behaving the way he was.

It was all thanks to a certain flamed-haired temptress named Misty Waterflower. He had scarcely functioned properly since his encounter with her, over three weeks ago. He wasn't eating right, wasn't sleeping much and he couldn't seem to get any work done. Never in his life had a woman bewitched him so. And it absolutely killed him that he had no idea what became of her.

Did she get to Ash in time? If she didn't, did she think Gary had made the whole thing up? Was she upset? Was she angry? Should he try to call her? And what if she did get to Ash on time? Did he man up and tell her how he felt? Did she still feel the same way? Or was something, or someone holding her back?

A million questions had occurred to Gary about that night. The percentage of which he had an answer to was a big, fat zero. Misty had not contacted him. At least that much he knew. He couldn't exactly say he was surprised, but he had been somewhat hopeful. Especially after seeing that look on her face before she left to go find Ash. It seemed to all but scream, "Don't let me go."

He deliberately avoided the papers. If Ash and Misty were an item now, the last thing he wanted to do was read about it all over page one. He somehow suspected though, if it had happened it was not in the news. His grandfather read the paper everyday and had never mentioned a single thing to him (although he could not exactly say he was this lucky all the time. The last time he had been photographed with a floozy, his grandfather had sighed wearily and mentioned ever-so-passive aggressively, "It just seems like young people today date because they have nothing else to do. Do you know what I mean?")

The astute young man was particularly edgy today. His grandfather had gone out to lunch with Delia Ketchum hours ago. They did this frequently and it never bothered Gary much until today. After an afternoon with Delia, Sam Oak would usually casually mention the goings-on in Ash's life since that seemed to be all that his mother could talk about. Today was the first time that the elder Oak and Ketchum had seen each other since Ash's victory party. Gary didn't know what they were talking about, but he was sure if Ash happened to have a new girlfriend, Delia would no doubt be gushing about it. Especially if that girlfriend was Misty.

Gary was both relieved and distressed to hear the familiar sounds of his grandfather opening the door to the lab. He was humming quietly to himself, something he always did after spending time with Delia. He seemed so distracted in fact, he failed to even notice that Gary was even there. Instead he merely walked by his grandson and pulled on his white lab coat.

Gary watched his grandfather with keen interest; what could have happened to put him in such a state? The older man continued to go about his business, milling about the laboratory, setting up his latest experiment. He continued to hum a jaunty tune as he cracked open his notebook and still did not even throw a glance in the direction of Gary.

Normally, this behavior would have been welcome. His grandfather had the tendency to be meddlesome when it came to Gary and his research. That's not to say he did not appreciate the advice, but Gary would have much preferred that it was given when it was specifically asked for. Today, however, Samuel Oak did not seem to have Gary or Gary's research on his mind.

The man continued to go about the laboratory and did not for a single moment look up to see his grandson's probing eyes. He had no idea how much the young researcher wanted to speak to him about his day. Instead of calling out to him, Gary Oak remained at his computer, waiting patiently for his grandfather to notice him. Gary wanted the conversation to seem as casual as possible; anything out of the ordinary would alert the scholar that Gary had ulterior motives. He wanted it to seem very natural.

_Oh Gary, _he imagined Professor Oak saying in this casual scenario. _I just had the most wonderful time with De – Ash's mother today. We took a walk into town and ate lunch in a charming little bistro. Oh and I saw Ash too when I dropped her off. Do you know he's seeing someone now?_

Oh yeah?

Gary imagined he'd say in a distinctly cool and definitely not-interested way. _It's about time, _he would say smoothly, while inside he would be seething silently. Then he would turn back to his work, finally knowing the truth, and hopefully would be able to concentrate again. Either that or he would take to doodling Ash with a penis for a head. In either case at least he'd be freed from the burden of not knowing.

But the older man did not seem to be interested in breaking into conversation anytime soon. Gary didn't know how long he spent watching the older man hum and read and read and hum, but finally Gary couldn't take it anymore. He needed to know now!

"Grandpa!" he said, perhaps a little louder than he should have. The desired effect was instantaneous.

"Oh!" The Professor was so surprised by the sound of Gary's voice that he dropped his notebook on the floor. It landed with a satisfying smack that resonated loudly against the white concrete bricks of the laboratory. The flustered scientist looked up to his grandson seated in his usual spot, one arm draped over the headrest and the other hand holding in his laughter.

"Gary, you scared the daylights out of me!" Professor Oak reprimanded, though he was hardly angry as he was flustered. He bent down to pick up the fallen notebook and then turned to address the younger man.

"I didn't know you'd still be here. I thought you would have gone out for some lunch by now," he explained. "How's your paper coming?" he added hastily trying to change to topic.

Gary sighed heavily as looked back at his computer screen that displayed the dismal effort for the afternoon. He hastily shut the lid before his grandfather's curious eyes could glimpse his failure.

"I think I could use a break actually," he said truthfully while turning his swiveling chair towards his elder. "How did your lunch go?" he hoped he sounded much less inquisitive than he actually was.

"It was quite enjoyable," Samuel said, though not after a fairly significant pause. Samuel Oak was usually very put-together man. He was very observant and focused, even outside of the lab. And right now he was grinning like a little boy with a secret. It was very much un-professorial in Gary's opinion and he could not deny that his interest was piqued.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Gary asked suspiciously.

"Was I smiling?" The older man chuckled to himself. "I didn't even realize."

Gary cocked an eyebrow. He had honestly never seen his grandfather act so strangely. "What's going on with you?" he queried. "What exactly did you two talk about anyway?"

Samuel Oak turned a looked his grandson with a reproachful gaze. "Now Gary, since when have you been interested in my social life?"

"I - I'm not," Gary said quickly. Sam Oak's strange behavior had distracted him. He completely he was supposed to be the opposite of inquisitive. "Can't a guy just want to talk to his grandpa?" he said, placing his head in his folded forearms as he attempted to look at innocent as possible.

The Elder Oak smiled and ruffled Gary's hair affectionately – something Gary tolerated only because he had to know the outcome of the day's events. "Well I suppose so. Actually, perhaps I could use your advice, Gary."

This made Gary sit straight up in his chair. He didn't know exactly what Sam had in mind, but if it had anything to do with Mrs. Ketchum, Gary was not so certain he wanted to know. "Where is this going?" he asked uneasily.

"I'm not entirely sure, to be completely honest with you. It was a perfectly normal day. I came to her house and we walked to lunch together. I told her about some of my upcoming projects and she told me how her garden was coming along this year. I asked her if she'd be kind enough to allow me to purchase some of her produce and she told me if only if I gave her that secret blend of Pokemon food. It was the usual and after lunch we did a little window shopping…"

Gary very much wanted to hear what the end result of this conversation was, but he dearly wished his grandfather, like all grandfathers, did not take half an hour to tell a simple story about his day. Gary discreetly looked at his watch and noted sourly that every minute Sam yapped on about trivial nonsense was another minute that Gary was left agonizing in ignorance. Gary was nearly about to give up hope when his grandfather began describing a boutique that literally only sold decorative teaspoons. However, a slight hesitation on Sam's part signaled to the impatient young man that the tale was reaching its end.

"…We left the shop soon after that and I dropped her off at her house. When we arrived at her front door, well she said something very strange."

"Oh?" said the suddenly alert Gary. "What'd she say?"

"She said that her lunch with me was the highlight of her week. She said our lunches are always the best part of her week and that she very much enjoys spending time with me. Of course, I told her that I felt similarly, but then she said that wasn't what she meant. She said, 'it's more than that.'"

Gary couldn't help it, but his eyes bugged out a little. Ash's mom totally wanted his grandfather!

"More?" he said in a manner that poorly concealed his obvious amusement.

"Yes, and before I got the chance to ask her exactly 'more' meant, the door opened! Apparently Ash and Pikachu were on their way out for a walk themselves. I was going to try and finish the conversation, but she seemed to be in a rush all of a sudden. I suppose whatever Delia – Mrs. Ketchum was going to say, well, she decided it could wait."

Gary couldn't help but roll his eyes. It would be so like Ash to cockblock his grandfather.

"Well Gramps," Gary said clapping his superior on the shoulder amiably. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. Girls are pretty complex creatures. You need to give them their space. But believe me, if she has something to tell you she'll find a way to let you know." Gary was suddenly realized that perhaps he should take his own advice. He had given Misty some space and she had not contacted him. Maybe…that meant something?

"You are wise beyond your years," the older professor beamed at his student. "I'm sure you're right. Plus she has been so worried about Ash lately, that I'm sure she's got much bigger things on her mind."

Gary's sensible thoughts went flying out the window as soon as he hear mention of Ash's name. Even though Sam looked like he had more to say about the situation Delia, Gary knew this his opportunity to find out something, anything about Ash's relationship or lack thereof.

"Is that why Ash is still staying in Pallet?" Gary cut in, trying to still sound as nonchalant as he could.

"Yes, he seems to be taking some time off from Pokemon training. He says hello, by the way."

"Oh yeah? He's taking time off?" Gary pretended like it wasn't a big deal, but to be honest, this surprised him. One doesn't train for a decade to become the master of Pokemon just to take time off and lie low.

"Yes, it seems he's feeling a bit under the weather these days. When I saw him he just didn't seem like himself. He didn't have that – tenacity he usually has. I suppose he seemed somewhat complacent in a way," the Professor stroked his chin thoughtfully. "The thing is his mother tells me he can resume his place at the Indigo Plateau any time he wants. But she says he's just been, for the most part, doing nothing. Not even training! It's like he's…like he's," The Professor hesitated a moment; he did not seem to know how to describe Ash's predicament. "He seems unmotivated, I suppose."

Gary could not deny this sparked his interest. However, to keep up appearances he tried to remain aloof. "Unmotivated?" he said in his best disinterested voice. "What do you mean?"

"Well it's almost like now that he has achieved his goal he's almost not sure what to do with himself. He seems to be exhibiting signs of anexistential crisis. Now that he is a Pokemon Master, he is probably wondering if there is another great big adventure. Is the rest of his life meaningless now that he has achieved his ultimate goal? It's quite common actually, I told Delia so. Of course, she's not really convinced that's the reason."

"How come?" Gary asked, knowing full well that his interest in the situation was definitely beginning to show.

"I don't know exactly. She says she can just tell. She thinks Ash is – forlorn. She says it's as if he's missing something or he's waiting for something."

"Waiting for what?" Gary didn't know how he got there but he found himself actually on the edge of his seat in anticipation. He was so ready for the three words that would make him the happiest man in the world – _Ash got rejected. _

"I couldn't tell you. But I stand by what I said, I think he's just reassuring himself that his life still has meaning. I told him I was here if he needed to talk about it. Mew knows how many times I've wondered if what I was doing had purpose."

Gary was about to ask a follow up question when the phone began to ring.

"I'll get it Gary. While I do would you mind emptying the canisters in the fume hood?" his grandfather said shuffling his way over to the video phone.

Gary did as he was asked and retrieved the canister of chemicals from the fume hood. Normally this task would have Gary complaining that he was a scientist, not a common mover but his mind was otherwise engaged at the moment. As he lugged the can of sloshing chemicals upstairs his thoughts followed suit; they intermingled and collided without any rhyme or reason. He tried desperately to make sense of what he had just heard.

With his mind preoccupied he had not noticed the nail jutting out of the floor of the top step. As he lifted his foot to take another step, his big toe caught on the head of the nail. Gary felt his whole body jerk roughly and his body began to tip forward. He didn't know how but he maintained his grip with one arm around the canister while the other flailed wildly to brace itself against the door frame. Gary was lucky this time; he managed to grab hold of the door molding and stop his plummet a few inches from ground. His cargo remained safe, though he hated to think what would have happened if he had spilled the contents all over himself.

He straightened his body with great difficulty and lowered the canister gently down to the floor. He let his back curl against the door frame, his shoulders rolled forward as he took a moment to breathe deeply. He really needed to start paying more attention before he killed himself. With final huge inhalation, Gary shook out all his frustrations, picked up the canister with both hands and resumed his task.

He opened the door to the outside with great difficulty, but managed to do so without putting the canister down. His grip on it his had slackened some, so he used all his strength to hoist it up near his shoulder. Once he had managed to empty the contents into a safe, disposal receptacle, Gary took a beat to analyze the situation.

Somehow, he couldn't help but think, if Ash had suddenly hooked up with the girl of his dreams that he wouldn't seem complacent, unmotivated, forlorn or any of the other adjectives that Sam Oak had used to describe him. Gary didn't want to get his hopes up, but from the sound of things, he had not yet sealed the deal with Misty. And if Ash hadn't that meant that he, Gary Oak, still had a shot at her.

Gary could not resist doing a victory dance right there in the alley way. He shuffled his feet merrily, and waved his hands in the air all while plotting out what his next step should be. He just was beginning to have things worked out for himself when mid-dance, his conscious began to get the better of him.

He had no idea what occurred between Ash and Misty, but whatever had happened was obviously not what the young Pokemon Master had been hoping for. If Ash wasn't even training, he must be really depressed. All of sudden Gary wondered if he should feel bad about the situation. After all, even though he enjoyed beating Ash at every turn, they were in some bizarre, twisted way supposed to be friends. He would never call them best friends, but they were amiable usually. And Gary had seen the way Ash was when he thought about her. Something about pursuing Misty just didn't seem very gentlemanly for some reason.

_Screw being gentlemanly, _a selfish voice inside him screamed. _Remember that unselfish thing you did by letting him think he won the bet. He had his shot. He blew it. It's over! _

Gary couldn't help but think his selfish little voice had a point. If Ash blew things with Misty there was no reason why Gary couldn't give it his best shot. After all, if he were in Ash's shoes, he certainly wouldn't want Ash to feel like he couldn't score with a girl just because Gary had once liked her (or so he told himself). Besides wouldn't Ash want his friends together if it made them happy?

Gary decided that Ash would. The fact that he was basing this decision on was non-existent, but Gary was a firm believer in doing things for one's own reasons and not someone else's.

He walked back into the lab, confident and happier than he'd been in weeks. He was finally going to get something done today. The only thing he needed to worry about was how to make his next move. Should he call? Should he try to run into her somewhere? Send a note? Gary was weighing the pros and cons of each situation as he descended the stairs back into the lab.

His grandfather was still sitting at the video phone when he arrived and Gary noticed that the person on the screen looked somewhat familiar. He did not have time to get a good look because a second later his grandfather said, "Okay, I'll be over tomorrow at 3:00. Yes, all right. See you soon!"

And the screen went black.

…  
To Be Continued…


	6. Part VI

**Author's Note:** Just a quick thanks for the reviews, especially **Ally147** and **Poliwhirl42**. It's really kept me motivated. Thanks a bunch, I really appreciate it :D  
Also I changed the cover photo to my own illustration which can be viewed on my deviantART account.

**Game**  
Part VI

Misty Waterflower idly chewed on her pen cap as she scanned over the Pokemon League's revised Rules and Regulations. This was a fairly common occurrence in the Pokemon League; at the beginning of every new season they always had some new ordinance or revision that needed to be implemented. For that to be done, the League would send over the new code and force the Gym Leaders to go hunt for the new specifications within the huge volume of text like some sort of twisted Easter Egg hunt. Except instead of finding chocolate, you just found more rules.

She flipped another page of the great saga that was the rules of the Pokemon League. If she were in charge, she would simply send out an email with the altered article. It would save a lot of time and trees for that matter. Of course, she knew the League liked to do this to keep the code fresh in the Gym Leaders' minds, but she still not much care for the practice. It just seemed tedious to her. After all, Misty had been in a Gym her entire life. She knew the rules backwards and forwards at this point.

Frustrated that she still had not managed to find the revision to the text, she decided she deserved a much needed break. She pushed her rolling chair away from her desk and allowed herself to slide backwards into the chair so her head now hit the headrest. She put a hand to her forehead and tried to focusing on clearing out the jumbled mess that was her mind right now. She attempted to push all the legal jargon and all the complex clauses from her head and instead concentrate on the fact that the day was almost over and then she could relax.

However, Misty found that during the last few weeks she was no longer capable of relaxing. Every time she had a free moment to herself, her mind flooded with thoughts, images and feelings that her heart still had not been able to decipher. She always found herself thinking about that lonely train ride back to Cerulean City the day after Ash's, now infamous, Pokemon Master Celebration Extravaganza.

She remembered her forehead pressed against the window as rain poured down the outside of the glass. She especially remembered how tired she felt; she hadn't been able to sleep in those few hours between her conversation with Ash and the early train ride. Even then, riding in a tiny, private compartment her body resisted sleep. Instead of getting a much needed rest she spent the entirety of the journey staring vacantly out the window. But she couldn't even see the rising of Mt. Moon in the distance or the prairie Pokemon darting in and out of the grass. Her mind was stuck in the events of the previous twelve hours, struggling to make sense of the situation.

Just when she had thought things couldn't become any more convoluted and messy, Ash went ahead and did something very typical of himself. Misty couldn't say that it really surprised her; after yesterday she felt as if nothing would ever surprise her again. However, she would have hoped that Ash's maturing would have bred some of the impulsiveness out of him. This was not so. Instead of walking away, giving her time to think and process everything Ash opted for a slightly different alternative.

He kissed her.

It was so fast that Misty speculated during all those years of training Pikachu Ash might've just learned agility himself. She had nowhere to go; one hand grasped the back of her head while the other snuggly wrapped around her waist. Of course, even if she could have left she wouldn't have. Despite the fact that her heart and her brain were in a twisted, drunken brawl as it was, Misty was not about to let her deepest desire go unfulfilled. Not even if that meant she would have the equivalent of an emotional hangover for the next six months.

She knew now she had not been thinking clearly. If she was a sensible, mature person she would have calmly backed away and reiterated that she needed time. She would have told Ash that she just wasn't ready for the emotional repercussions of kissing him right now. She would have explained she cared about him but emphasize how his past indifference had nearly destroyed her. She would have done things differently – if only she was a reasonable adult.

But she wasn't. He made her feel like her eleven year old self again; the little girl who, while snuggled up in her sleeping bag used to have dreams about the boy sleeping less than thirty inches away from her. She melted into his arms like butter into a mound of hot mashed potatoes.

Misty was embarrassed to admit it, but she had seen a lot of romantic comedies in her day. She had planned for, dreamed of and even obsessed over this moment for most of her life, so she had very specific expectations for it. She couldn't say her expectations were met. Ash was slightly clumsy when kissing her. For one thing, some of her long red hairs got trapped between their lips. For another, he did not seem to really know what to do with his tongue. It roamed her mouth tentatively like an epileptic Ekans and Misty could tell instantly it was something he had very little practice doing.

For all his boyish awkwardness though, Misty could not say she really cared. The way he held her in his arms was enough to negate all his inexperienced and somewhat sloppy kisses. One hand caressed her cheek lovingly, while the other maintained a firm but still gentle hold around her waist. It was completely tender and sweet and most of all it reaffirmed everything he had said. She could tell by the way he held her that he really did love her and always had.

As a woman who had not been kissed once, but twice in the span of an hour Misty's brain couldn't help but draw a comparison between the two. The messages were plain as day but Misty could hardly tell which she preferred: the familiar, the comforting, the sweet tenderness of Ash or the dominating, passionate expertise of Gary.

It should have been an easy choice – it was an easy choice, but the young gym leader struggled fiercely to reach a conclusion.

Misty wasn't even sure why there was a question in the first place. Gary just wanted to get his freak on. He didn't express anything that would indicate otherwise. Ash, on the other hand, confessed a lifetime of love and commitment that she had always reciprocated – at least she thought she did?

_Just because Gary kisses differently than Ash doesn't make it better or worse, _her sensible side had told her.

_But it felt differently with Gary, _another voice cut in. _It __**was**__ better._

_So what? _She shot back. _So Gary is a more experienced kisser. Big deal! It doesn't mean that if I was with Ash I'd be thinking about that kiss for the rest of my life…_

Of course, that was exactly what she had been afraid of. She did love Ash, who made her feel like the girl she was ten years ago; excited and naïve. But Gary made her feel like a woman; a beautiful, modern, woman who knows what she wants and takes it.

_But who's to say with practice Ash couldn't do the same? _

It was a conversation she had had over and over again with herself. It wasn't made any easier by the fact that Ash had gone and made a bet, an actual bet, as though she could be won like a trophy or a new car. Could she really forgive him for something so dehumanizing? Could she really overlook his immaturity this time?

Misty's thoughts screeched to a halt at the sound of her intercom crackling. "Misty, Professor Oak is, like, here to see you," Violet's voice said through the static.

_Oh Shit! _Misty thought ruefully. She had completely forgotten that she had asked Violet to set up an appointment with the sagely Pokémon Professor for today. She had been so preoccupied with the stupid revised League rules and the spiraling black hole that was her love life that her very important meeting regarding her article on Water Pokémon had fallen to the wayside.

"Misty?" Violet's voice repeated.

"Uh yeah…Send him in, Violet."

Misty was normally perfectly prepared for a meeting. She always made sure to tidy up her desk, neatly set out any documentation she may need and she always gave herself a minute or two to just relax so she looked calm and collected when handling her business. Today though, Misty was very much off her game.

She stood up as her eyes desperately scanned over her desk. It was times like these she wished she cleaned up her office with more frequency and not just for the arrival of an important guest. Misty had never had an impromptu meeting, but she imagined if she ever had, she would not be ready for it. The big book of rules lay strewn across a stack of papers, likely documentation of her battles as well as some order forms for new Cascade badges. There was still a box of half eaten fudgy cookies from the other day as well a soda can, the contents of which had gone flat.

Misty shuffled through her papers hurriedly. She still couldn't believe she had forgotten about her appointment with Professor Oak! She felt terrible thinking that he had traveled all this way to deliver her some much needed supplies and to take a look at her article on Propulsion mechanisms in Water Pokémon for revision and consideration in the scholarly Pokémon Journal.

"Come on now, where are you?" Misty asked herself aloud as she did one last check over the desk. She then turned her attention to the drawers. She pulled open the one on the right and was immediately relieved to find her article, face up, in a nice neat stack where she suddenly remembered putting it for safe keeping. In her haste to retrieve it though, she fumbled and her painstakingly researched article slipped from her grasp onto the floor.

"Oh shit!" She cried, dropping to her knees. "Shit, shit, shit, shit!" she cursed as she scrambled to put the papers back in their correct order. She noticed she was beginning to sweat as a single bead rolled off her forehead and splashed down on one of the displaced papers. She silently cursed her luck as she examined the sweat drop on the paper. She began to consider reprinting the whole thing when she heard footsteps coming down the hall.

_No, there's no time, _she decided. Samuel Oak was such a good guy for coming here and she respected him enough not to make him waste his time waiting for her to print a new copy. With speed she hadn't realized she possessed, she quickly scooped up all the loose papers and began to reorder them as fast as she knew how.

"Okay," she coached herself as she slipped the third page between the second and fourth. "I can do this. It's no big deal," she assured herself. After all, she had known Professor Oak for years. It was unlikely he was going to call her out on her unprofessionalism, right?

She had just managed to slip the last page in its appropriate spot when she heard the door creak open.

"Oh Professor Oak!" she said as she tapped the stack of papers against the floor. "I'm terribly sorry," she apologized as she gathered her wits and began to rise from her seated position on the floor. "I just dropped my gl – " she began say as she resurfaced. However, Misty's lie about losing her glasses dried up on her tongue as she finally caught a look at the man in front of her.

It was not the stately Samuel Oak whom she trusted and respected. Rather in his place was a much younger, more handsome member of the Oak clan. A sharply dressed Gary Oak stood in his place; one hand gripping the lapel of his expensive looking sport coat, the other was nestled snuggly in the pocket of his skin tight jeans. He was wearing a neck tie that had accents of purple and midnight blue that perfectly complimented the colors of his eyes. His trademark cinnamon stick hair was styled impeccably and Misty identified a rather pricey looking watch on his left wrist. Today, he was all business.

Misty did not register the papers flapping around her ankles as they fell from her slackened grasp. She merely stared at him, mouth agape as he stepped into her office, a slight spring in his step. Without missing a beat, he glided down into the extra chair, crossed his legs and finally looked up at her – a familiar smugness lined his perfect features.

"What's the matter, Misty? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Her jaw tightened visibly, and her eyes narrowed into slits. Amazingly, in just the few seconds he had been there, she had completely overcome her shock. Her bewilderment had completely progressed all the way to majorly pissed off as soon as he opened his mouth. After all, why should she be surprised that the insufferable Gary Oak should show up when it was least convenient?

"What are _you_ doing here?" her tone was a little ruder than was probably appropriate. She realized all he had done was walked in the room and already she was being an instigator. But Misty couldn't help it. Whenever she even thought about him, every deceitful, loathsome lie sprang to mind instantaneously. And every time she thought about his lies, she felt like she was experiencing them for the first time. She was continually forced to the face the humiliation that she briefly believed she felt something for him. Over and over again.

He, on the other hand, was expecting a somewhat more warm response. After all, they had left on pretty amiable terms. He'd daresay it was even more than amiable. The last time they had interacted they had been wrapped so tightly around each other they could have been mistaken for Tentacool. Granted it had been somewhat awkward at the end,but he couldn't believe that was enough to induce actual hostility.

He wasn't sure what was making her see red. He seriously doubted Ash would have let spill the secrets of their wager. He was probably too relieved she was even there to risk that. Did she blame their hotter-than-a-Magmar-in-a-volcano kiss for things going awry with Ash? Maybe she had told him about it and it was a deal breaker? If that was the case, that was all on Ash and he refused to feel bad about it.

"I came to see you, of course." He expertly ignored her blatant aggression and merely smiled up at her. He sounded chipper, not at all deterred by her acrimonious tone.

"Well, I have a very important meeting right now," she informed him crisply as she bent down to gather the papers that were scattered all around her desk. "So if you make an appointment with Daisy where you came in maybe I can fit you into my schedule sometime in the future," she attempted to sound a little less antagonistic, but it was nearly impossible to keep the contempt out of her voice.

A small smile flickered over his lips as she got to her knees to collect her paper. "Oh come now, Misty. You can't possibly be that naïve," he was smirking, which was never a good sign in Misty's book. She turned sharply to him and raised a single eyebrow. The mistrusting look on her face had said it all. She really didn't know why he was there!

He silently basked in glory of her ignorance. A little devious smile formed at the corner of his mouth and he took a moment to evilly rub his palms together like some sort of criminal mastermind. He did so love messing with her head. In one graceful movement, he ascended from the chair like some sort of dignitary and addressed her likewise.

"While perhaps not the Professor Oak you were expecting, I am _a_ Professor Oak," he smiled broadly, all his perfectly white teeth showing as he gestured to himself as if to say, _"Voila!_"

Gary tried fruitlessly not laugh at the expression on her face. As her brain begin to process the fact that Samuel Oak was not coming, he couldn't help but notice how much she looked like a Slowbro. An incredibly cute Slowbro, if he did say so himself.

"You've got to be kidding me," she turned away from her scattered papers to get on her feet and look at him, her disbelief and ire clear from her hands-on-hips stance. She always meant it to look forceful and intimidating but to Gary it came off as girlish and feminine. Not that he was about to tell her that.

"But I specifically asked for him!" In her irritation she slammed her hand down on her desk harder than she meant to. She winced at the pain, but deliberately held her tongue. She didn't need another reason for Gary Oak to laugh at her.

"I'm sorry he was a bit preoccupied and sent me in his place," he lied smoothly. The truth was, when the Elder Oak told his grandson he had to make a trip to Cerulean City, Gary took it as a sign. He couldn't help but think the universe was granting him a second chance. First things go amiss with Ash, and then his grandfather has to make a run to her gym? It seemed too fortuitous to be merely a coincidence. In an uncharacteristic moment, he generously offered to go in place of his grandfather. He made up something about having to run errands anyway and the old professor was only too delighted to accept.

"Don't worry though. I'll take your paper to him. Unless, of course, you'd prefer I read it myself." While he fully intended to do so, he had a feeling she was not going to take him up on the offer. She was much too prideful where he was concerned. She would sooner give up the idea of publication just to stick it to him.

She did not disappoint. "No. Thank you." Her lips were tight as she said it in attempt squelch her rising anger. She could not BELIEVE her luck. She couldn't believe the wise Professor would send this showboating, grandstanding peacock in his place. Misty huffed indignantly as her eyes fell onto the remaining sheets of paper that still littered the floor. _And I worked so hard on it, too_ she bemoaned silently.

She quickly turned her back to him so he wouldn't see her mouth out every expletive she knew. To him she appeared to be calmly bending down to continue gathering the rest of the papers from the back. He could not see her rolling eyes, furrowed brow, and other beleaguered facial expressions she was making.

Even though he couldn't see it, he was still reasonably sure she doing something to express her distaste about the situation.

He didn't know if she expected him to leave after this refusal but he was certainly not going to make it that easy for her. He watched her for a few moments, her curvaceous backside pointing up as she got the remainder of her papers in a neat stack. His inner lech couldn't help but think how in the Pokémon world, such a gesture would be an invitation for some dirty, raunchy Mankey-sex.

He scarcely was able to enjoy her buxom bottom when she stood up and turned around. She began to tap her stack against the edge of the desk when she glanced over and noticed him still standing there. An involuntary sigh escaped her.

"You're still here," it was a statement, but Gary knew she meant it as question. She folded her arms and leaned her weight against the desk as if to say, "_**Why**__ are you still here?"_

"Well," he began casually. "I mean, I did come all this way," he did his best to make her feel as guilt-ridden as possible. He looked sadly down at his shoes and shuffled uncomfortably. The behavior looked foreign on him; it was such an un-Gary Oak-like moment that Misty temporarily forgot her agitation with him.

"Well…" she suddenly did feel a little guilty. After all, he had come all the way from Pallet Town to get her paper and she was ready to throw him out on his ass. "I don't know what you want."

"How about a little polite conversation," the smooth young man suggested. Without waiting for her answer, he quickly slid back into the extra chair, placed both his forearms on the cushioned arm rests and leaned back as if he meant to stay quite awhile.

As much as Misty wanted to just kick him to the curb, she decided she could at least try being polite. She hated so much being the bigger person. After the way he had lied to her and manipulated her, she felt as if she had earned the right to hate him forever. Of course, there was the nagging question still in the back of her mind; _why had he not claimed the bet as a win for himself_? That alone was the only thing keeping her civil right now.

"Very well," she said with great difficulty. She placed her research paper on her desk and decided to take a seat behind it. Perhaps if Gary saw her take out some work, he would feel less inclined to partake in small talk. As soon as she was seated she began to shuffle around for some papers that she could pretend to be editing. "What exactly did you want to talk about?" she put on her reading glasses and did her best to sound distracted as flipped open her Pokemon League Rules and Regulation.

Gary remained unmoved. "Well, nothing in particular," he expertly fibbed. The truth was he was dying to find out what exactly her relationship status was. But he wanted to remain aloof and indifferent to better protect himself in case he didn't like the answer. "I mean, how are you doing? I see you've got a copy of the new edition from the Pokemon League," he pointed out.

"Uh yeah." She could see her plan was already backfiring. Instead of making her look busy, the giant tome had only served as another point of conversation they could have. "I have to reread through it and see what has changed."

"Oh don't worry about that, it's on page 356," he said coolly, reclining further back in his seat. He watched her face with interest; she slowly looked up from the book to reveal the most bemused expression he had ever seen. He couldn't help but chuckle at the way she starred all bug-eyed at him. "Go on, see for yourself," he urged her.

Misty did as she was prompted and flipped forward through the handbook to the page he specified. She found herself in the Section XXXII – _Pokemon Battle Etiquette_. At the bottom of the page there was, in fact, a footnote she had never seen before, modifying what taunts and jabs were acceptable in a gym atmosphere. She noted with mild amusement Lt. Surge would likely be the most affected by this alteration.

Her attention was regained by a clearing of Gary's throat. The bewildered gym leader stared wide eyed at her companion. "How did you know that?" was the only thing she could think of to say. After all, the Pokemon League was a group comprised of highly organized and private individuals. It wasn't like these rules out to just anyone. How could he possibly know where one single addendum was in this sea of text?

"I work very closely with the Pokemon League," he informed her matter-of-factly. "In fact they once approached me about being a Gym Leader."

"They did?" Misty couldn't help but be surprised. She had been in the gym circuit for as long as she could remember. She figured if anyone would know about the almost hiring of Gary Oak it would be her.

"Yeah, they needed a replacement for the Viridian City Gym. But it would've meant putting my degree on hold and it just wasn't the right time. Maybe someday I might consider it. Then we could be colleagues," he waggled his eyebrows suggestively which, just like that, reminded Misty of why she didn't want him here. He always had to ruin perfectly nice conversation with an innuendo.

"Hmm…" she turned back to the pages and pretending she was no longer interested. Truthfully, it was a conversation she wouldn't have minded having with a normal person. But by this point she knew a conversation with Gary Oak meant she'd have to endure more of his egoism and euphemism. He was not a normal person by any means.

He was undaunted by her game of pretend. "Well now that you've found your revision," he began to lean towards her desk. "You can put this away," he pulled on the spine of the handbook and it easily slid across the polished surface of her desk into his other hand.

"Hey!" she protested. "Give that back!" she stretched her body across the desk to snatch book back but at the last moment he pulled it out of her reach.

"And how am I, you might ask?" He hid the book behind his back so she would be forced to pay attention to him. "I'm pretty good, just doing a bit of resear – "

"I didn't ask!" she cut him off swiftly and rose to her feet. The gesture was suiting; she meant it to look imposing and it did. "Now please give it to me." She held out her hand as if she meant for him to place the book there.

"Okay just to clarify, you want me to give it to you, is that right?" He purposely said it slow as if he really didn't understand.

"Yes, hand it over," the impatient red-head extended her hand a little further.

"Well okay, if you insist," he surreptitiously slid the book on the seat of his chair as his other hand moved to the front of his jeans. He began to unbutton the fly when he heard Misty let out something in between a shriek and yelp.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Her voice seemed as if it were magnified by an Electrode's Sonic Boom; it was _that _loud. Gary couldn't help stifling a few chuckles. Her reaction was even better than he had hoped. She was flushed and shaking; he couldn't help but wonder if she was a little turned on by the whole experience.

"What? You said you wanted me to "give it" to you!" he said innocently.

"Zip your pants back up! Right now!" The appalled woman snapped. She turned her head so she wouldn't see him pulling up his fly and smiling broadly at her. Like he knew a secret or something.

Gary did as she asked and noted how obstinately she refused to look at him while he did so. Instead she pretended to be dusting herself off and making other obviously unnecessary adjustments to her ensemble. When he was done "zipping up" he stood up straight to give her a visual cue that it was okay to look in his direction again. As he suspected she had been using her peripheral vision, because the moment she noticed he was done her head swiveled back to look at him.

"You knew what I meant," she said sourly, her arms folded and her mouth pulled into a scowl. Gary couldn't help but think she looked rather cute when she was pouting. He reached behind him and pulled the handbook off the chair and placed it in her possession.

"Yeah I did. Just having a bit of fun," he shrugged in a _boys will be boys_ kind of way. Misty's expression did not follow suit. She merely grabbed the handbook out of his hands and stuffed into a nearby drawer.

"You're just lucky I didn't kick your bare, naked ass," she slammed the drawer shut with a satisfying smack; Gary couldn't help but think that in this case she was punctuating just how hard she would have kicked his ass if given the opportunity. He wasn't sure whether to feel scared or aroused by this gesture.

"Speaking of asses," he segued easily, unable to contain his curiosity any longer. "If you don't mind me asking…how did things go with Ash?" he tried to sound merely courteous instead of interested. It was something he had not done terrifically well with his grandfather, but he wanted to be cautious just in case his assumptions had been wrong.

Misty looked at him sharply. She could not _believe_ he had the nerve to ask her about that!

"As a matter of fact," she said coolly. "I DO mind you asking." Her tone was so frosty Gary thought she might be part Articuno. Without another word, she started to tidy up the assorted chaos on her desk. She began to sort the papers into stacks and tossing bits of garbage into the waste bin. All while she did not even look or acknowledge Gary in the slightest. It was her way of telling him that the conversation was over.

Gary never was good at taking a hint. Or so he liked to pretend. "Why?" he pursued innocently. He placed both hands on the edge of her desk and leaned his weight over them as a way of getting as in her face as he could. "It's not because it didn't work out, is it?" there was a slightly mischievous edge to his voice.

"Yes! I mean no! I mean – " Misty quickly clapped a hand over her mouth before she could say anything else incriminating. He was so good at getting her flustered. _Why did I have to go and open my big mouth?_ She berated herself. "I mean - It's none of your business," she tried salvage what was left of her dignity with little success.

"So things did work out then?"

"What part of, 'none of your business' do you not understand?"

"Hey, I was just trying to be polite and get all the facts," he held his hands up in a defensive way. "It's just that I've heard people talking, you know?" He was lying spectacularly. No one had been talking. At least no one had been talking to him. He couldn't imagine anyone would even know about their secret meeting by the river; let alone the nature of it. Of course, the paparazzi managed to surprise Gary on more than one occasion (the "Naked Hide and Seek" incident was still perplexing to him). He preyed on the fact that Misty was pretty isolated from much social media and she would have no idea if people were or were not talking about her business. He knew Misty was unused to malicious gossip and she would probably be more bothered by it than he was.

The effect was immediate. Her pupils were noticeably dilated and a frantic expression fell over her features. "What people?!" she demanded of him. He noticed her fingers had curled themselves into a fist and he knew he had her right where he wanted her.

"Just people." He shrugged it off, as though it was no big deal. Unfortunately, Misty did not seem to share his cool demeanor.

"Talking about what?" she pressed further, a little more urgently than she would have liked.

"Hey, it's no big deal," he did his best to make it sound like it was no big deal. He noticed often when he downplayed the importance of something it only served to bring more attention to it. "I just heard that Ash was looking to make you his official gal pal and you weren't into the idea."

"That's not true!" She found herself momentarily forgetting that it was not really Gary's concern and launched into full defensive mode. "I did not say no! All I said was that - "

She stopped short when she noticed the grin that was forming on her counterpart's lips. He had done it again. He had gotten her worked up enough to get her to spill her guts. She couldn't help but marvel at the skill while simultaneously be embarrassed at its effect on her.

As she noticed her faux pas, her voice became appropriately mortified. "I'm just thinking about it…" she trailed off and felt her face get hot. _It's none of his business, _she found herself repeating over and over again in her head. _It's none of his business what Ash and I do._

He began to chuckle noticing her clear frustration. This only served to aggravate her further. "No thanks to you," she snapped testily.

"Hey now, what's that supposed to mean?"

Misty did not answer immediately. She wasn't going to tell Gary she knew about the bet at all. Frankly, she didn't even like thinking about it, let alone talking about it. But at the same time she wanted him to know how he had interfered – how his stupid challenge had messed up what could have been the best day of her life. Without his arrogant, pigheaded GaryOakishness, she and Ash would be together.

There was a part of her that was truly itching for justice to be served. She wanted him to know what he had done. And seeing an uncomfortable Gary Oak fidgeting and shuffling from his guilty conscious would be so delicious…

But more than anything, she just wanted to know why he hadn't followed through. What had possessed him to do something good?

"I know about your stupid bet," she said quietly.

He hadn't quite been expecting that. He never thought Ash would risk the situation by letting her in on the secret. But suddenly everything made sense. Misty's icy demeanor when he came in; she knew he started out just trying to manipulate her and use her. She had no reason to believe anything he had said or done had been genuine. It also explained why, what should have been a sure thing between Ash and Misty had somewhat soured. She was probably royally pissed at him too.

He didn't let his surprise show. "If you know about it, then you know that I'm the reason you even knew Ash was standing there on that riverbank," he informed her stoically.

She threw him a dirty look. Yes she knew that, but she had expected him to be a little more remorseful or at least embarrassed. After all, what he and Ash had done was basically the plot of every horrible rom com made in the last ten years. And she wasn't about to be as forgiving as the ladies in those movies.

"I know you're the reason there was a bet in the first place," she countered him, crossing her arms to punctuate the point.

"Hey!" he objected, pulling out his pointer finger to give her a stern talking-to. "Now, that is not true. The whole thing was Ash's idea!" He said it a little louder than he meant to, but he just couldn't stand there knowing he was getting all the blame for something the ever-incompetent Ash had done. Gary refused to be accountable for this. In his mind he was just as much manipulated as Misty was. Ash had tricked both of them. He tried (and failed) to one up Gary and had exploited the love of his life to do so. In this scenario, Gary deemed himself the lesser of two evils.

"Yeah, of course it was! Because you goaded him into it!" she insisted.

"You can make whatever excuse you want," he said, in a much calmer voice. By contrast she looked like the irrational one and he the mature one. "You know he is as much to blame for this as I am, if not more so" he shot her a sharp look.

"Yeah but he wasn't the one trying to seduce me all day. He wasn't the one manipulating me! He wasn't the one LYING to me!" Her voice reached a crescendo and sharply dropped off. Misty let out a long sigh that reminded Gary of air escaping through a pressure value on a boiling pot of tea. She seemed to have been holding that in for the entirety of the three weeks. He imagined she felt a little bit of relief letting that out.

"How could you, in good conscious do that to a person? How could you - " her voice lowered in tone and sounded much more somber. "I mean, I know we were never close, but I just…how could you do that to me?"

He could tell she was humiliated and humbled by how he had made her feel. And that was what she was really angry about. Lies and manipulation are only as effective as the person they're being used against. And in this case, Misty thought she hadn't been strong enough to repel such reprehensible methodology.

How could he convince her that almost all of what he did and said had been in earnest?

"I know what I did was wrong. But if you want me to say I'm sorry about it, I' m not." She looked up. She couldn't say she was entirely surprised that he was unapologetic, but she thought he'd at least have the decency to lie about it. The tactless manner with which he delivered this sentiment brought a grimace to her face.

"Well I can't say I'm surprised," she said bitterly. She deliberately turned her back on him so he wouldn't see the disappointed look on her face.

"I'm not because it gave me a chance to get to know you."

Misty visibly stiffened. _Oh no, _her little voice said. _He is NOT going there, is he? _She cocked her head sharply, catching a look of him out of the corner of her eye. She was convinced she would see his little smirk that he always used when he teased her. Regrettably, she was displeased to find him looking somewhat humbled and, dare she say, even sincere?

"That's really why I'm here. I wanted to tell you that. And I know you're not going to believe me, but not everything I said was a lie. I really meant when I said I liked you."

"Oh yeah, of course," Misty injected an extra dose of sarcasm into her words as she whirled around to face him. "Is this a new bet you've started? See if she'll fall for it a second time?"

"Is that implying that you fell for it the first time?" he shot back hotly. Misty opened her mouth; presumably with a retort on her tongue, but closed it promptly. That second of delay was enough for him; he prodded further.

"That's why you didn't say yes to Ash right away isn't it? You did feel something, didn't you?"

Misty knew better than try to deny it. He had been there; he knew she had fallen for it. "You stupid idiot," she mumbled; her sudden fascination with the wall became apparent when she would not meet in his. "Why did you send me to Ash in the first place? You won, you stupid, pompous, arrogant dickhead. You won."

It gave him little satisfaction to hear her say it, though. Perhaps because he already knew, or perhaps he was feeling guiltier than he realized. Regardless, he tried to remain inexpressive so she wouldn't catch on.

"It seemed like the right thing to do at the time," he shrugged.

"Oh so now you've suddenly grown a conscious," A skeptical Misty raised an eyebrow to show her dubiousness.

"I wouldn't say that." Gary replied somewhat vaguely.

Misty made no indication that she had heard him. "You spend all day trying to trick me into falling for you and then, out of nowhere, you decide to be noble?" she exclaimed incredulously. "And then you start spouting nonsense. Do you really expect me to believe that this experienced has _changed _you for the better? Do you really think I'm that big of a sap? Do you really think I'm going to believe that you love me all of sudden - "

"Hey!" he cut her tirade short. "I never said any of that! That's your feminine mind watching too many chick flicks." Misty was about to protest about him being chauvinistic and sexist, but he swiftly interrupted her again.

"Listen to me, will you? I'm not saying I've changed, I'm not saying I'm seeing things clearly for the first time and I'm **not** saying that I love you. I still hardly know you," his voice had a hard edge to it to make sure she was paying attention. For once, it seemed to have worked; she was staring up at him with a facial expression he couldn't quite read. Her wide blue eyes made him soften a little bit. "But I'd really like to remedy that situation, if you'd let me."

Misty swallowed hard. "Well I don't think that's going to work out," she said stiffly, crossing her arms and averting her eyes. She tried her best to sound unmoved by his sentimental jabber, but the truth was it sounded rather nice to Misty. Almost too nice. Like he had scripted it.

"Why not?" the surprised Pokémon Professor pursued. "You just said you have feelings for me?"

"Um," she deliberately held out the first syllable in manner that oozed of condescension. "I did not."

"Uhh, you did too!" he parodied her right back.

"No I didn't," she repeated.

He gaped at her. "About five seconds ago you explicitly said you _felt something_," he reminded her.

"Uh yeah attraction," she said this as if it should have been quite obvious.

"Oh puh-lease," he was unable to resist giving her a huge, over the top eye roll. "Are you really doing this? Are you really backing out now? Are you really going to pretend that you know exactly what feel something means."

"I'm sorry you misunderstood," she did not sound very sorry at all. "I was under the impression the bet was to seduce me. And I was seduced. Which is all about attraction. It has nothing to do with feelings."

He looked her up and down in an exaggerated fashion. "Who do you think you're kidding?"

"Look I'm not denying that I was attracted to you. Briefly. But that's all it was. That's all it is. And now it's over."

He could not believe what he was hearing. She had stated, not a minute earlier, that she felt something for him and now she was attributing it up to a miscommunication?! He couldn't say he was entirely surprised – Misty seemed to have a habit of covering her ass when she was most vulnerabe. It nearly reminded him of their discussion about each other's parents. He noted how she, at the moment where she was most exposed, began to retreat into her shell like a frightened little Shellder. _No! _An angry little voice in him screamed. _No way is she getting away with this again! _

"I don't believe it," he stated simply.

"Well that's just fine, because it really doesn't matter what you believe. You can choose not to believe that Magikarp evolves into Gyarados and it doesn't make it any less true," she sounded very proud of herself. For once she did not fly off the handle but delivered a cool line that completely dismissed anything he might say. Honestly, what _did_ she care what he believed? She had better things to do than spend her day trying to persuade him of something he already couldn't be talked out of.

"Now would you please leave I've very busy," she followed up with just that sentiment.

He laughed derisively. "I'm not going anywhere," he emphasized the point taking a seat on her desk and making a "humphing" noise, not unlike she would have done.

"Pardon me?" Misty had a talent for making seemingly harmless phrases sound threatening. She made a face as if to say, "_The hell you won't!"_

"Don't be coy, you heard me," a reprimanding Gary Oak told her. "I'm not going anywhere until you admit the truth. You like me just as much as I like you. You would be living happily ever after with Ash now if you didn't."

Her detached attitude evaporated like water on a hot griddle in the middle of July. "For your information, there's more going on between Ash and me than you know so DON'T presume to know what our relationship is like," she threatened menacingly. As hard as she tried to remain in control, her temper was showing signs of coming out. Misty hated his arrogance so. How dare insinuate that he knew what her feelings were like? How dare he?

"I'm sorry Misty, I'm not pushing any buttons for you am I?" he said with that mock innocence that she loathed so very much. She turned away from him; looking at his self-satisfied face was doing nothing to temper her irritation and she very much wanted to keep her cool. If she blew her top she'd just be giving him the upper hand.

"Come on, don't be like that," he said in a soothing voice. "This isn't anything to get upset over. Just say it and I'll leave. Say you like me." She noticed he ever-so-effortlessly slipped into his trademark seduction voice without even batting an eye. It was so easy for him.

At this point Misty decided to switch up tactics and give him a taste of his own medicine. "I do like you," her voice sounded unfamiliarly husky, almost not like her at all. She paused to have a look at him; his shoulders were raised the tiniest bit in anticipation. His eyes were transfixed on her mouth, which was pulled into what could only be described as a smirk. Suddenly the playful expression fell from her features. "I'd like you to leave," she said in a stony, deadpanned tone which served to kill all excitement the Pokémon Researcher had been feeling.

Gary's shoulders slumped visibly and he made his annoyance apparent on his face. "Okay," he acknowledged her dig with begrudging respect. "Okay, okay. Then why don't you prove it?"

"Prove what?"

"Prove me wrong. I dare you," he challenged.

"And how am I supposed to do that?"

"Kiss me."

Misty inhaled deeply. _He cannot possibly be serious, _her inner voice reasoned. _There's no way. He can't possibly think you'd seriously consider doing that again? _But when she looked up at him and his steely, resolute eyes she knew he was serious. She shook her head disbelievingly. "What do you take me for?"

"Look, I know what you're thinking, but hear me out!" he reached a hand to her shoulder to keep her attention; she looked as though she was already tuning him out. "This is a no-brainer. If you can kiss me without your knees getting weak – you know, like they did last time - then I'll believe you." He explained this as if it were all so perfectly logical. "I mean, if it was only attraction and even _that's _gone now, I don't see any problem here."

Misty frowned. He had to bring up the last time, didn't he?

"I'm not doing this again. If I had listened to my instincts the first time, I wouldn't be in this mess in the first place," as far as Misty was concerned he could talk until he was blue in the face. She was never going to change her mind about it.

"I guess you want me to stay here?" He released her shoulder and allowed himself to settle a little more on her desk, now crossing his legs and bending back slightly as if the whole desk were his own personal recliner.

"You know what? I don't even care anymore. You can stay if you like. I'll leave," she said emphatically as she scooped up her research paper and a spare clipboard. She began to make her way towards her door. "I have to go clean Tank 4 anyway," she stated practically, as she stuck her nose in the air haughtily.

"Not so fast, my dear," a speedy and smooth Gary Oak leapt off the desk and bounded across the office in large strides. He then threw his body against the door in the most dramatic fashion and spread his arms over the threshold of the door to keep her at bay. "To get by me you have to pay a toll," he informed her in his best impression of Blaine – the Riddle Master and honorary Master Troll of Kanto.

"But since I like you I'll give it to you cheap. A fair price of just one kiss."

"You can forget it," she said stubbornly.

"Then you can forget about Tank 4," he replied, equally as stubborn.

"Oh this is just absurd!" she made a step towards him, but he did not move. "Get out of my way," she attempted to give him a hard shove but it was mostly for show. She knew he wasn't going to budge. As much as she hated to admit it she had seen his spread in Pokehunks magazine. She knew she wasn't going to get him to move by any physical means.

He shook his head vigorously. "Nope."

"Violet! I need you in here," she called to her sister outside. She knew as childish as Gary was, he wasn't going to make a scene with Violet there. She had assumed, rightfully so, that he only pulled these sorts of stunts with her and that if Violet asked to be let in he was going to let her. At least that was her hope.

"Oh shoot!" he exclaimed suddenly, pretending as if he forgot something very important. "I forgot to mention. Violet wanted me to tell you that since I was the last appointment of the day, she was going to head out early. I think she's got big plans and she says she knows how you enjoy your quiet time. Plus she called me Professor Cutie, which I rather like," he said cheekily. "You could call me that too, if you're so inclined," he added flirtatiously.

Misty sighed heavily. _Of course, she did, _she thought ruefully. That was so like Violet. "Fine," Misty huffed as she began marching back towards her desk. She turned back around and gave him a triumphant look as she picked up the phone and held it to her ear. "I'll just call for help," she beamed smugly as she began to punch in a number on the key pad.

"Go ahead," he encouraged her. The positive reinforcement only served to be suspicious to Misty; her finger hovered over the last digit as she looked up to give him a once over. Just as she suspected he was doing something to distract her. His head bowed, his browed was knitted and his hands clasped as if he was thinking something terribly nefarious. In his best impression of a homicidal maniac he said, "They'd never make it in time, anyway." He proceeded to let out an evil cackle that was followed by genuine laughter that he now seemed to have trouble containing.

Misty did not seem to think this was as amusing as he did. "Very funny," she said grimly as she dialed the final number in the sequence.

"What's wrong Misty?" his peals of laughter began to die away and he stood upright again. "Can't even fight your own battles?" He knew right away he had hit a sore spot; Misty's hand became tight around the receiver. In fact, he wasn't sure, but it looked as though her knuckles were starting to turn white she was clenching it so hard. Misty didn't much care for the implication that she was weak or couldn't defend herself.

"Is that what you want?"she said almost inaudibly. The room was so quiet all of a sudden he could hear the sound of the phone ringing on the other end. A voice on the other end said, 'Hello?' right before she slammed down the receiver hard. "A fight!"

The intimidation tactic did not seem to faze Gary in the slightest. "I already told you what I wanted," he clarified. "Either one kiss or one admission of truth."

"Well I'm not doing either of those things, so you can stand there all day for all I care," her tone was a little more aggressive than she would have liked. She didn't want to think he was beginning to get to her, even though he absolutely was. "It gives me time to get some work done," she said in a strained voice.

As nosily as she could, she threw wearily herself back into her chair and then began to loudly move and shift papers around on her desk. It was her passive-aggressive way of saying, "I'm irritated and it's your fault" though Gary paid it absolutely no mind. He merely let his body curl against the door frame and shoved his hands in his pockets like he was waiting for a bus.

A few minutes passed in silence – though the tension in the air was so thick it might as well have been a few hours. Misty tried, with little success, to focus on her work. However, she found herself rereading the same sentence over again while her eyes, every so often, flickered to the door where Gary Oak was still resting casually against the door frame. Her faltering concentration only became worse when the infuriating young man began whistling a little ditty.

Misty closed her eyes and tried as hard as she could to block out his unremitting whistling. She didn't realize how hard she was concentrating until the pencil in her hand snapped from her squeezing it too tightly. Still his jaunty tune did not let up. In fact, if she didn't know better she'd say it was getting louder.

Misty finally reached the end of her rope when he started adding lyrics to his little tune.

"_And if only she would admit it, I'd be man enough to quit it. 'Cause I know she wants to hit it, And I wish that I could – "_

"STOP IT!" Her voice ripped through the office like a fissure through dried up earth during an Earthquake. Misty was on her feet, seething, red in the face, fists clenched and she looked like she was about to Self-Destruct. Gary knew better than to pursue his freestyle. She began marching towards him in a militant, combative sort of way until she was right up in his face.

"Why are you doing this anyway? Just to torment me? Huh? HUH?" she stabbed her index finger into his chest, and it actually hurt more than Gary would have cared to admit. He decided it was best to not be antagonistic or bawdy anymore. He thought it best to just be truthful.

"Well to be honest, I just really want to kiss you again. The tormenting is fun too I guess," he added as an afterthought. Misty sure was hoot when she was all riled up.

"Fool me once," she did not need to finish out the adage for him to get the gist. Misty was not about to made a fool of again.

"C'mon Misty. Was it really so bad?" He didn't know why she resisted so bad. He knew she was upset that he had lied to her; his original intentions had not been so pure. But she enjoyed that kiss as much as he did. Was it just the fact it was him, Gary Oak, that made her so adverse? Was his mere existence so enraging that she had to behave this way?

"Am _I_ really so bad, Misty?"

Misty hesitated before she answered. "Are you sure you want me to answer that?"

"Yeah, give me your best shot," Gary felt confident he could take whatever she could dish out.

Misty drew a deep breath. She had A LOT to say.

"Fine. Well to answer your question, yes, you are really so bad. You know it's not enough that you tricked me into kissing you once, but now you're trying to make me do it again – like a I'm some sort of idiot? You expect me to believe that your stupid childish bet was a blessing in disguise? And you expect me to believe that raw physicality translates into actual emotion? Are you kidding me? Given your recent history, I don't know how you could possibly expect me to believe a goddamn word you say.

You are underhanded, manipulative, conceited and two-faced! I cannot fathom more insufferable person than you. And it wouldn't be so bad if you were just annoyingly arrogant; flaunting your wealth and your fame, convincing stupid women to sleep with you. No you have to take it to a new level. You like to pretend you're a human being sometimes. You can feign empathy like no one I've ever seen and I guess I have to applaud you for that. Well done. Well done. You had me fooled, so congratulations. You made me think you could be decent, you made me almost feel sorry for you and you almost made me attracted to you! When I think about it UGGH! You just make me so mad – coming in here, distracting me, teasing me, annoying me and for what purpose! To get me to kiss you! I'll bet that's the only reason you pretended to lose the bet. To use as leverage later, right? RIGHT? And when I think about how you could probably have any bimbo you want you have to make ME a part of your sick, twisted little game. And I let you! I LET YOU! That's the worst of it. You're so good at what you do, you had me believing your tripe! Well not anymore. You want an admission? Here it is. I wouldn't be with you if you were the last person on this planet. I've had it with you Gary Oak! I've had it!"

When she finished her diatribe she let out a long sigh. She thought that it would feel good to tell Gary Oak exactly what she thought of him, but for some inexplicable reason she felt empty. She couldn't help but feel perhaps she had exaggerated. Perhaps she had gone just a little overboard. Sure he was guy who tried to trick her into putting out, and yes, maybe he was still trying to trick her. But couldn't he have been sincere? Couldn't he have meant what he said? Isn't someone innocent until proven guilty?

Maybe she was she the one who was really so bad? Making grandiose assumptions and tearing him down like she was the bully?

Was Gary Oak really so bad? Was he really worse than Pokémon thieves, or people who murder? Was he worse than criminals like Team Rocket? Was he so bad he deserved the verbal equivalent of a castration?

She looked at him and was surprised to find he seemed unscathed by her attack. In fact, he looked a little gleeful. Like he had something up his sleeve. Her disappointment and anger with herself, suddenly unleashed itself on the closest possible target.

"What are you smiling at, huh? I just ripped you a new one. Didn't you hear me?" A little of that fire remained in her otherwise exhausted voice. "Didn't you hear what I said?" she demanded.

"Yeah I heard you," he was still grinning ear-to-ear like a damn fool.

"Then why are you smiling like an idiot?" She berated him. She wanted him to become reserved and abashed for his behavior. She wanted him to realize the things he had done were bad, even he wasn't bad intrinsically. Even if he wasn't the worst possible human being in the entire world, a lot of what she said was true. Her rant had produced the complete opposite reaction and for some reason that made her as mad as a hatter. _How dare he be happy? _She thought furiously. _How dare he?! How could he smile and act like I had just praised him?_ _God! He is __**infuriating**__! _

"WELL?" she demanded hotly when he still didn't respond. That look of triumph was in his eyes and she could not tell, for the life of her, why? Hadn't she just told him he was never going to trick her again?

"It's just," he began, the crooked grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. "If I'm so terrible, why are you kissing me?"

"…I'm n – "

But she never got to finish. Because she was.

...

To be continued...


	7. Part VII

**Author's Note:** Changed the rating to Mature, just to be safe. Also this chapter was edited on 5/29/13. Nothing important to the plot changed, I just fixed some typos and some passages that were bothering me. As per a suggestion, the last line of the chapter was also changed ;)

Also the reviews are really lovely and they mean a lot to me. Special thanks to Ally147 for giving me an awesome shout out. If you guys like egoshipping, definitely check her out.

**Game**  
_Part VII_

The moment his mouth covered her own, she felt something explode. It was not the urge to resist; on the contrary she found herself throwing herself into it. She could not tell if it was rage or her libido or a bizarre mixture of the two, but she found herself kissing him back. Hard. She had decided in the mere nanoseconds before their lips touched that she was going to fight fire with fire. It was round two and Misty was determined to make _him_ weak at the knees.

The thoughts of proving Gary wrong had evaporated from her thoughts and now all she was thinking was how if he wanted a kiss he was going to get one. He was going to get the hardest, roughest, rawest kiss of his life. Next time he'd think twice about provoking her.

The lip-to-lip friction of the kissing was scorching; Misty had an inkling she knew what it felt like to unleash a Fire Blast now. As a matter of fact, every point of contact between the two felt as if it were ablaze. Neither could have predicted that could have become even more fervent than the night of the party. Of course, they hadn't had the added fervor of Misty's unbridled rage poking the flames that time.

She pushed him roughly against the wall, a guttural noise stirring in her throat. A small sound of surprise escaped the young professor. He had never, ever met a woman so assertive before.

A lot of women he had been with had a way about them. They could say things that sounded provocative and confident like, "I know you want me," and "I want to be on top," but when it came time to put that sexy confidence into action they were suddenly demure. The curtain fell and the scene was over. These girls were merely poor actresses, attempting to seem experienced and womanly when in reality he was sure most of them had been virgins getting revenge on the ex-high school sweethearts. They could not handle being in control anymore than they could spell the word ("Is it two l's or just one?" "There's an 'e' at the end, right?") They wanted to be possessed by him.

But Misty would never find herself possessed by any man. Not even Gary. He was surprised to find that he kind of liked it. The excitement was palpable; he out wasn't completely in control and it was scary but also exhilarating. It felt like driving a really fast car along a twisting, winding road. For the first time in his life he really didn't know how it was going to end. Was she going to so far as to kill him or would they make hard, fast love right there in her office?

Her hands slid up his chest and found a place resting on his neck. If Gary wasn't so aroused by her take-no-prisoners attitude, he might have been a little scared that she was about to choke him. He replied in turn by wrapping both arms around her back and crushing her smaller frame against his. His hands held her firmly, palms flat against her flesh, finger pads lightly borrowing into her muscles in her back. One hand slipped and found solace on the curvature of hip as he attempted to bring their lower bodies even closer, perhaps in anticipation of things to come.

The more he touched her, the more urgent her behavior seemed to become. What had started out as a simple open mouth kiss had now become a war zone. Teeth were scraping. Tongues were wrestling. Lips were bruised and swollen. She was biting and grabbing in a frenzied way, like that of a mad woman. Gary let out a painful gasp as she dug her nails into a muscle on his back. Out of relax his head jerked slightly and she went for the jugular; kissing and biting like some sort of voracious Zubat.

Despite the thrill he was getting from her power over him, he wasn't about to relinquish the power so easily. While she was distracted leaving bruises on every inch of his neck (that he'd need to wear a Squirtle-neck for weeks) he took this opportunity to catch her off guard. His hand that was all ready caressing her tangerine tendrils edged up to where they were collected by a hair tie. In one fluid motion he yanked the elastic band and sent her hair cascading down her back.

Misty, becoming slightly distracted by the movement jerked her head up suddenly. In the moment when she was diverted, Gary grabbed a handful of her hair tightly at the base of her skull and tugged it roughly. The effect was immediate. Her head lurched backwards and a painful noise escaped her mouth. He took a moment to look at her meaningfully, to tell her _I'm still in control_ before he dipped back down to crush his lips to hers.

Although she did not retaliate as fiercely, she did not become submissive by any means. Her hands reached out and grabbed the lapels of his pricey sports coat. In a flash she had tore the coat off his shoulders and her hands began to clumsily fumble for the buttons.

An amused smile was forming on the Professor's lips as he noticed her trying to undo each button one by one. One of his hands left her back to bat away her hands. He then, without even breaking the liplock ripped the shirt open, sending the tiny buttons scattering across the room. He quickly shrugged both shirt and the coat off his body before wrapping his arms tightly around the waist of his companion.

Misty took the opportunity to dig her finger tips into the bare flesh of his shoulders. Gary Oak was certain by tomorrow it would look like he'd survived a Scyther's scratch attack. His skin felt bruised and raw all over his upper body and he couldn't say he minded a single bit.

Misty reflexively jumped when she felt his hand reach down and squeeze her left buttock with more force than necessary. He then used that grip to lift her off feet and send her sprawling against the surface of her desk. He had not had the foresight to do what he had seen in every romantic movie ever; wipe everything off the desk first and THEN make sweet, sweet love to the heroine. Instead Misty struggled to make herself comfortable as she tried to swat away her pencils and staplers that were unfortunately poking into her backside. It was an awkward, clumsy gesture as she thrashed behind her to swipe away pesky objects. She froze instantly when her hands slid across the glossy surface of her laptop.

"Mmmph" she tried to say against his lips. Gary did not stop right away. He was hoping if he continued to kiss her the way he was she might bite back any nagging concerns or worries. He was frustrated to find that she was now pulling back even more. He tried to sustain lip contact as long as possible until finally he could no more.

"What?" He was breathing heavily. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, equally as breathless. "I just - I have to move this first," she angled her body to allow him to see that she was nearly sitting one of her more valuable possessions.

"Huh? Oh!" Gary pulled back just enough to see the shiny metallic of Misty's laptop glinting in the sun. That also alerted him to another problem – the sun. The blinds were wide open. Way open.

It wasn't that there were so many people out today. In fact, it was brutally warm so most residents of Cerulean City had taken refuge in the comforts of their cool, air conditioned homes. But Gary didn't even like the possibility of someone seeing what he was about to do to her. If the paparazzi got wind of this – well, he very much doubted Misty would be forgiving.

"Here, give that to me," he instructed. They both noticed the raw quality of his voice when he said it. He sounded anxious and on edge. Misty wandered briefly if she had done that to him. Before she could give it much thought though, she noticed he was pulling the laptop out of her hands.

"Be careful with that," she commented, seeing him about to throw her precious piece of machinery on the chair haphazardly. "I mean it. Everything this gym needs to run is on that thing."

He shot her a look of annoyance but begrudgingly placed the laptop, ever so gingerly, on the seat of her spare chair. Then he made a mad dash for her windows; he hopped over a pile of manila folders and caught the cord deftly between his fingers. As he landed the blinds came cascading down and before Misty could register any of it, he was back at her side.

Before she could breathe a work of thanks, his lips were already back on hers. Her arms found their way around his bare shoulders and a thought occurred to Gary. He was standing there half naked and SHE still had all her clothes on. He HAD to even the playing field.

She uttered a small sound of protest but it was too late; his hands tore open her blouse just as easily as he had opened his own. In a bizarre twist of events, Misty's foremost thought was how much she had liked that shirt.

The feeling did not last long though because the moment he pulled it off her, she was greeted with the feel of her bare skin against his own. She buried her head in the crook of his neck, kissing him, but mostly just languishing in the heat his tanned, taut skin produced. He took a moment to admire his handiwork as she kissed his neck. Misty was not wearing her cute little Psyduck bra this time; instead she wore a very supportive, lacy adult black brassiere. It took all his resistance not to rip it from her body; Misty's décolletage had a starring role in most of his fantasies for the last few weeks.

His hand glided over the skin on her stomach and non-too-gently grabbed a handful of her plentiful bosom. He squeezed her flesh hard sending a shockwave of both pain and pleasure that made her whole body shudder. She reflexively jerked backwards, letting her head tilt back slightly, surprised at how good it felt. He took her body language as a sign to continue. With her neck exposed he took the opportunity to kiss and lick and nibble at the long column; his hands were now both preoccupied with her chest.

Her hands laced themselves into his mane and she bit her lip hard so as to not let any incriminating sounds spill from her mouth. It served as a reminder to why she did not enjoy the way eroticism was displayed in contemporary media was the incessant, fake noises coming from the 'actresses' huge, collagen filled lips. Despite the fact that her insides were squirming, and her skin was burning and she was short of breath, she still felt prideful. It occurred to her pride should have gone out the window when she didn't shove him off of her, but old habits die hard. She didn't want him to know how damn good he was.

But he already knew. She was shivering, her breathing was spastic and erratic, she was sweating and her pupils were dilated. She was writhing under his touch and he relished the fact. The only thing he loved more than making love to women was being right. One of his hands begrudgingly left her breast to glide down hips and a grab the bottom of her pencil skirt. With a sense of desperation he grabbed a hold of the hemline and began pushing it up her thigh, the fabric began bunching at her hips.

Misty's drunken, kissed induced stupor, for a moment relinquished its hold on her. It was the sound of his zipper being pulled down that made Misty have a realization.

_Oh my god,_ her mind was racing a mile a minute. _Does this mean we're about to have sex? Right here in my office? _Misty felt herself panic. She had wanted to teach Gary a lesson in seduction, but now she was wondering if she had gone too far. It wasn't that she wasn't attracted to Gary – she absolutely was that much was obvious. She was beginning to wonder if she might even sort of like him a bit (when he wasn't acting like a huge tool). But was that enough for her to throw all caution to the wind and shag Gary senseless?

As if by divine influence Misty's phone started ringing.

Gary gave no indication that he had even heard it. Misty, on the other hand, immediately stiffened after hearing its familiar tinny ring. Gary's head lifted, momentarily ceasing his trail of kisses down her stomach to look her in the eye.

"Leave it," it was part way between a groan and a whisper. He bent down to kiss her lips in case she needed any more persuasion to stay put.

Misty was not paying attention. Her eyes were wide open and glued to the phone. It rang again.

Misty didn't like to admit it, but she was a superstitious person. She took the phone call as an omen, a confirmation that she needed to stop what she was doing. Everything was going so fast, she felt like her head was spinning. If she didn't stop this crazy train now it was going to get off in Nastyville, population: Gary Oak. As curious as she was what that would be like, she had not checked her emotional baggage yet. It was a journey that needed to wait.

"Uhh hang on," she pushed him back a little and gave a slight nod to phone. Gary glared at the phone menacingly, but, in spite of it, lifted himself off her. She effortlessly, slipped out from under him and scuttled across the desk, eager to reach it before the caller hung up.

"Hello, Cerulean City Pokemon Gym, this is Misty speaking. How may I direct your - " Misty did not get to finish her very well rehearsed introduction. Gary could not quite make out the voice on the other end, but immediately Gary knew whoever it was, it was someone Misty had not been expecting. Her voice got quiet and she suddenly seemed very protective of the phone; she glanced over her shoulder and pressed her hand the receiver.

"Oh. Yeah, hey. No, no you're not bothering me." This caused Gary to sit up straight. Was she really going to make him sit there and wait, after she had the nerve to drive him crazy? She was going to make him just sit there as she took her sweet time and he felt like he was about to explode? He let out a disgruntled sigh to let her know this was not going to fly.

If Misty heard the sound she did not acknowledge it in the slightest. She continued listening to the caller on the other end, subtly nodding her head as they talked.

"I - I know. And I will. I - I'm just still thinking about it," she said at last, though Gary noted she now sounded almost melancholy. He did not like where this was going. "No, I told you, you're not annoying me," she said after a beat. "I know this must be hard for you. Believe me, I understand."

The way she said it sounded almost bitter and suddenly Gary was almost positive he knew who was on the other end of that phone call.

"Yes. Yes I promise I will soon. Please be patient with me. Okay? Okay. All right. I'll - I'll talk to you soon. Goodbye."

Misty's hand still held the phone up to her ear even though Gary could hear the familiar buzzing of the dial tone on the other end. Slowly her eyes began refocusing and, as if coming out of a long coma, began to lower her hand down and let the phone click into place. She looked down at it thoughtfully, her hand still gripped around the handle. She did not look at Gary or even acknowledge he was still there. He decided this simply would not do.

He stepped in front of her, which went completely unnoticed by the redhead, still fixated on the curvature of the phone handle. He reached out and covered the hand on the phone with his and delicately removed it. Her attention shifted back to him, but the glimmer was gone. That deviousness and playfulness from before had been completely evaporated. But the long-time risk taker was not about to let a little phone call ruin his chances.

"Where were we?" he lifted her hand to his mouth, kissing her fingertips lightly. The gesture was enough to bring even the most stoic, hardened women to their knees. A few minutes ago it probably would have worked on Misty too. But clearly what had ever been said on the phone was enough to put her out of the mood permanently. She pulled her hand from his grasp.

"Gary no," she shook her head, but her eyes were on the floor. She could not seem to look at him for one reason or another. "It's time for you to go home." She brushed past him and made her way towards the door. She pulled it open effortlessly (Gary noticed with some annoyance that it had never been locked) and began to walk back to her desk. She expected him to find his way out on his own. Gary had no intention of being so cooperative.

He reached out and grabbed a hold of her bicep, halting her midway to her desk. "Come on, you don't mean that," he was still attempting to be light and playful despite all the signals he had received to the contrary.

Misty shot him a glare. "Yes I do," she insisted. "You need to leave. Now," she said with a little extra emphasis, wrenching her arm from his grasp. She stalked back to her desk and unceremoniously dropped into her swiveling chair, causing it to rotate ever so slowly around. Her back was to him now.

Gary grit his teeth. _GODDAMNIT!_ He fumed. _Every single time _

It did seem like every time he was getting close to her something would happen. An emotional meltdown. His guilt getting the better of him. An unexpected phone call. Gary was through with all these excuses. There was no reason that they shouldn't be together. Not after what had just happened.

"Misty," he called to her back, knowing full well she could still hear him. "Misty, I know you're listening. You cannot honestly expect me to believe that you want me to leave after...that. I don't care what you say but that was amazing. It was exhilarating. It was - "

"A mistake," her voice cut him off. She allowed her chair to rotate a smidgeon so he could just see a sliver of her face in profile. "That's all it was."

For some reason this curt response completely deflated Gary. How could she call the greatest connection, the greatest intimacy and the most thrilling physical experience of his life a mistake? He watched her blankly waiting for her to say more. To apologize. To say something to the contrary. Instead he saw her lean over a pick up her fallen blouse. She threw it on over her shoulders and went to button it before realizing that she no longer could. Because of Gary. She looked up to meet his eyes; she looked tired.

"I need to go home," she stated simply. She rose from of the chair and began gathering the assorted clothes that littered the floor.

Gary snapped out of his daze. Clearly whatever happened here was over for the time being. But he refused to believe it was mistake. And he refused to believe it was never going to happen again.

"I'll drive you," he offered, throwing on his own shirt.

"No!" she said a little too forcefully. "No," she reiterated more calmly. "Please just go home," she shoved a few of his items into his hands, refusing to make eye contact.

Gary watched her, passively walking around her office gathering up odds and ends, putting away her laptop, pretending like nothing had ever happened. Something about this made Gary angry. How dare she? How dare she just walk around and pretend as if they weren't just sighing and panting like two horny Nidorans? How dare she? Inexplicably, he felt betrayed. For once he had put his heart into something and to have it just ignored?

"You know what? NO!" He threw all his belongings to the floor. "What the hell Misty? Why are you doing this? Again!"

"Doing?" Misty looked quite perplexed. "What exactly _am_ I doing?"

"You know. Don't play dumb," he said somewhat caustically. "I can't believe you. Things are getting a little intense and all of a sudden you want me to leave? Face it, you just love shutting me out. Getting me all worked up and then giving me the boot. It's a sadistic, twisted game you've got going on."

"I'm sorry, are you, of all people accusing me of leading you on?" The irony was not lost on Gary. He fell silent, remembering all the women he had slept with. All the promises he made. All the phone numbers he had 'forgotten.'

"And am I to understand that because I kissed you that I'm under some obligation to screw you? Is that how it works? I owe you now," Misty added bitterly.

Although he would never admit it, there was a part of him that would argue yes, yes she did. Instead of causing, what he knew would be a argument he could not win, he avoided all mentions of these chauvinistic thoughts. "I guess not," was all he said, though it came off as forced and insincere.

"Good. Because I don't think I do either."

"But you do owe me an explanation," he countered. "What happened during that phone call to make you change your mind? Well?" Instead of answering, Misty walked over to the windows and began pulling up the blinds. It was her way of telling him his time there was officially up.

"It was Ash ,wasn't it?"

Misty's head snapped back to look at him. He didn't need to have telepathy to know that he had hit the nail on the head.

"Answer the question. That was Ash on the phone, wasn't it? Wasn't it?" It was odd, but Gary felt like they had briefly slipped into each other's personalities. He was the one flying off the handle, and she on the other, was maintaining perfect control. Maybe he was rubbing off on her. Maybe she was rubbing off on him!

"I don't have to tell you anything. And furthermore, you stated that if I kissed you would leave. Remember that? Well I think I more than held up my end of that deal, so I think it's best you hold up yours," her voice was chillingly detached, it suddenly made Gary aware that he was cold. Possibly from still not being completely dressed.

He grabbed his rumpled jacket from the floor and quickly covered himself in it. Misty continued fiddle with accessories on her person to appear busy, but she was obviously just waiting for him to leave.

"Okay fine. You win this time," he conceded, gathering the remaining items. He bowed a little, and pretended to remove his invisible hat to her to show his defeat. He rose and without another word began to walk towards the door.

"You make it sound like some sort of game," her voice reached him as he began to cross the threshold. He lingered there a moment, letting her words resonate in his skull. Wasn't it all a game? Every time he made a move, she blocked it. Every time he made some progress she sent him back to start. Every time he had thought he'd won, she'd just change the rules. It was a game. Her game.

"If it sounds that way," he finally said, unknowing of her piercing gaze still fixed on him. "That's because it is."

…

The doors of the Cerulean gym burst open. A figured strode through them and into the sunshine outside. Although after 5pm, the July sun still hung in the sky, its illuminating rays still shining as bright and as warm as a Charmander's tail. The air so was hot and moist that activity in the great city had nearly ceased to a halt. All around residents had taken to cool movie theatres and ice cream parlors. Some of the braver ones took to the beach, but even they just laid in the sand while the sun beat down mercilessly.

Despite the suffocating, sweltering heat, Gary paid it no mind. He was a man with a mission. Upon exiting the gym he did not stop for a moment to take in his surroundings. He was already over his initial disbelief, hurt and sexual frustration when Misty cut their reunion short. Now he was just determined.

He reached his car quickly, his long, brisk strides carrying him over the scorching black pavement with record speed. He effortlessly hopped over the door of his Charmeleon red convertible and slid down into the driver's seat. He gunned the engine and was off, leaving distant tire tracks on the asphalt.

He sped down the Cerulean Interstate nearly 30 mph faster than the posted speed limit. For reasons, that were likely all under the unbearable heat, there was nearly no traffic and Gary cruised without any impediment. His hair blew furiously in the wind, dancing about his head like he were in some sort of shampoo commercial. But Gary did not seem to notice the way his perfectly tousled hair moved in the breeze, or it's sheen in the sunlight, things he normally would have been admiring in his rear-view mirror. Right now, his mind was somewhere else entirely.

It took him less than 4 hours to reach the quiet suburban town of Pallet, thanks to the incredible speed he attained. The sun had set not long before Gary pulled up in front of familiar house. He cut the engine. The air of the suburbs was jarringly quiet; only the sounds of a few bird-like Pokémon in the distance could be heard. Gary sat in the car for a moment, the steering wheel still gripped between his white knuckles.

He glanced over at the dwelling nearby. It was a modest home, just big enough for two people. There only appeared to be one light on, and that was in the kitchen. There wasn't any movement inside the house, nor were there sounds of everyday living. Everything was completely still. Who would have thought this little bungalow would be the home of one of the most powerful men in the world? Who would guess the current Pokemon Master was sitting somewhere inside this tiny house?

Gary hopped out of his convertible and strode up the dirt path to Ash Ketchum's abode. He inhaled deeply before knocking on the front door. He did not have to wait long; the visage of Delia Ketchum appeared before him almost instantaneously, smiling ear to ear at the sight of him!

"Why GARY hello!" she stepped forward and engulfed him in a bone crushing hug. Gary felt all the air leave his lungs and suddenly wondered if this was what a wrap attack felt like. "It is such a pleasure to see you!" she finally pulled away to look at him, beaming extraordinarily.

Mrs. Ketchum seemed to like everybody. Despite the somewhat checkered past he had with her son, she never treated him like anything other than family. It was a lot like the way his grandfather treated Ash. Gary couldn't help but wonder if it was all part of some plot in which the two conspired to meld families. In which case, the assimilation had only yet to begin.

"The pleasure is mine, of course," he said slickly. For good measure, he reached for the older woman's hand and placed a kiss near the knuckles. Delia was always a sucker for some good, old fashioned chivalry. "I hope I haven't dropped in on you at an inconvenient time."

"Oh now don't be silly. You are always welcome in our home!" she said hurriedly as she ushered him into the foyer. "Would you care for some dessert? I've got chocolate cake, carrot cake, Bundt cake, chocolate ice cream, strawberry ice cream, cookie dough ice cream, éclairs, doughnuts, or if you want I could make some - "

"Mrs. Ketchum please!" Gary cut her off. He knew she'd very well bake him a soufflé if he let her keep going. "That's very sweet of you, really, but actually I came to see Ash. My grandfather told me he was a bit under the weather?"

Delia's face lit up. "Oh aren't you darling! That's wonderful news! Ash hasn't had a visitor in weeks!"

"Yeah I was surprised to hear he was still here. I would have thought he'd have taken the first flight out to the Indigo Plateau."

And just like that her face fell. "Yes, I thought so too." She turned her head sadly to the family room, where Pikachu was napping quietly on one of the sofas. Something about it seemed off. Why wasn't Pikachu dozing upstairs with Ash?

"I don't just know quite what's wrong with him lately. He's so depressed. And I can't do a thing about it," there was a slight crack in her voice and Gary feared the older woman might cry. Oh how Gary hated when women cried. He imagined himself, awkwardly patting her back while muttering, "it's going to be okay" and suddenly he wanted to book it. Gary did not come here to feel guilty a watch Delia cry.

He was relieved and surprised to find she that instead of gushing like leaky faucet, Delia just shook her head and took a deep breath, dispelling the bad thoughts and returning her full attention to her guest.

Gary reached out a reassuring hand to her shoulder. Despite his history with Ash, his mother was one of the sweetest, kindest, most sincere people on the planet. He felt a pang of something. Guilt? Empathy?

"Well maybe I can find out for you," he did his best to sound sympathetic. It was a strain, but Mrs. Ketchum was none-the-wiser.

"Yes, I'm sure you could. You and Ash have always been so close." Gary didn't know if Mrs. Ketchum really believed that, but he if she did he found her naivety somewhat endearing. Only she could interpret years of their rivalry as 'being close.'

"He's right up stairs," she indicated, and without another word Gary began the ascent up to Ash's room.

Gary stopped a mere foot short and just stared at it for moment, contemplating his next move. He didn't know why, but as Gary stood in front of Ash's door he suddenly felt oddly apprehensive. A thought occurred to him. He could turn around and forget about Ash. He could try and woo Misty and talk sweet nothings into her ear. He could bring her flowers every day and serenade her at night. Maybe if he was relentless in his attempts she'd eventually get tired of telling him no?

No. Gary knew that was no longer an option. He could talk and whisper and serenade until he was blue in the face and it wouldn't matter. No matter how much Ash had hurt her, Misty would probably forgive him. He could disappear for another twenty years and she would probably still forgive him. As long as she knew there was hope she would never give up.

Gary would forever be in competition with a mere ghost; Ash did not even have to be around for him to completely crush any hopes of Gary and Misty being together. His mere existence was enough, as though his disembodied energy had been left an imprint in her heart, "this is mine, let no man dare try." Gary had to remove Ash from the picture entirely.

Standing in front of that door he felt eerily cold. Although he had no intention of harming Ash, a fleeting thought occurred to him. If Ash weren't around...that would solve a lot of problems.

Gary shook his head furiously. He was a lot of things. He was conniving and underhanded, selfish and undeniably morally bankrupt, but he was no killer. He could make Ash disappear in a decidedly less heinous and illegal way. He came to do a job. A job he was good at.

He came for one last wager.

This door was the threshold to much more than the Pokémon Master's boudoir. Once Gary stepped through both of their lives were going to change.

He inhaled deeply and pushed his way through.

The scene before Gary's eyes was bleaker than he could have imagined. In retrospect he wondered if he should have knocked, although he doubted it would have made a shred of difference. There was Ash Ketchum, at the height of his career, buried under three blankets, visible crumbs dusting his Pokémon comforter, a crumbled tissue carpet on the floor beside him and his TV, blaring loudly the unmistakable sounds of "The Loved and the Lost," a melodramatic daytime drama. Gary did not think much could shock him, but the sight of this man, lethargic, apathetic and completely broken was a lot to take in. Especially because the Ash he knew was energetic, and opinionated and the picture of an up and coming Pokémon Master. This person - well Gary didn't even know this person.

Ash did not seem to register another person was in the room. He was staring vacantly at the screen like a vegetable. He didn't even seem to be alive. To say Gary was royally freaked out would be an understatement.

"Ash - what the hell?" He made his way into the room, tip toeing over the pizza boxes, bags of chips, dirty dishes among other various obstacles. The noise alerted the Kakuna-like Ash, all wrapped up in his blankets, to Gary's presence. Ash turned his head to see his long time rival, Gary Oak, shuffling through the debris to sit down next him.

"Gary – Wha - Why are you here? What are you doing in my room?" He looked rather like a startled deer in the highlights, sliding back towards the wall away from the other man.

"Sweet Mew, this place is a mess," Gary grumbled to himself as he finally made it to the edge of the bed. He was about to sit when he noticed a dirty sock covered in some unknown green substance and thought better of it. Instead he opted to lean casually against Ash's bedpost.

"I came to see you," Gary informed him. "We have some business to attend to."

"Business?" The groggy Ash said the word as if he had never heard it before. "What Business? What are you talking about?"

"Uggh sit up, will ya?" Gary did not even attempt to conceal his disgust. "This is important."

Ash managed to, with much effort, push himself into an upright position. It was clear that it was a very taxing request as he grunted and groaned, sending little flakes and chunks of food cascading down the comforter. Once he was upright, he refocused his attention to the television again; a woman with lots of curly red hair was sobbing over the body of her dead boyfriend. The camera angle panned upwards and she bellowed a long, hideous "WHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

The performing quality, or lack thereof, did not go unnoticed by Gary. He had seen better acting in a porno entitled, "Pik-a-chu in the Shower," which apart from having not plot line whatsoever was merely an indulgence for off color Pokemon innuendos ("You should call me Metapod, baby. The only move I know is harden!") and gratuitous screaming and grunting. And yet, it was still more believable than this tripe.

Gary turned his head to find that his long-time rival appeared to be transfixed by the woman on the screen. He glanced back at the television to see other characters trying to pull her from the corpse. Gary wondered if Ash thought of this woman as a surrogate Misty; someone who would be heartbroken if he were dead. But, besides being gorgeous and having red hair, the two women did not seem very much alike. The horrific, one-dimensional actress Gary was seeing was not a good analog for the fully realized, ultimately flawed, but terrifically complex Misty Waterflower.

He snatched the remote away from comatose Ash and pressed the power button – the screen went black and the actress's horrible wails finally ceased. Ash's trance-like state was instantly broken and he rounded on Gary with a surprising amount of aggression.

"Hey! I was watching that!" He dove for the remote, but Gary was a little bit quicker. In one fluid movement, he tossed the remote to his other hand and then placed it on the nightstand which was considerably out of Ash's reach. Unless he wanted to get up, which Gary was guessing he would not.

"I'll save you some time. Someone is sleeping with somebody's husband, somebody is pregnant and somebody is coming back from the dead. It's probably that dude. Okay?"

The only thing Ash had energy enough to do was stare hatefully at his sometimes-enemy-sometimes-friend. He crossed his arms and reclined back against his pillow in silent defeat. Gary took this to mean he was much more lazy than angry.

"I need to talk to you." Ash remained quiet, arms still folded as he stared at the blank television set. He did acknowledge Gary in anyway.

Gary sighed, a few wisps of his hair fluttered across his face. Ash was just as immature as he had remembered. "It's about Misty," he clarified.

Ash's head immediately turned to face Gary at the mention of her name. Immediately Ash was flooded with all the feelings he was trying to forget with his mindless TV watching. Sadness, guilt, despair, loss, love – the gamut of emotions was vast and largely indescribable. But more than anything a burning sensation began to form in his chest. Ash noticed it had the stinging sensation of acid reflux but knew instinctively that it was not. Hearing Gary say her name alerted him to all sort of foul play; it made him protective, defensive, guarded.

"What about her?" It was a question, but coming from Ash it sounded like a threat. A low growl stirred in his throat which alerted Gary to the very real possibility this conversation could turn ugly at any moment.

"I'm not going make a lot of excuses or apologies about this. The truth is..." Gary fumbled momentarily. How was he supposed to say this? Phrases like _I have a crush_ and _I like her_ seemed juvenile. They belonged on a playground. What Gary felt about Misty was much more grown up. But he couldn't say he _loved_ her. And he couldn't say he _cared_ about her; that had too many familial undertones. How could he communicate what meant to Ash?

"Well, honestly. I'm interested in her." There it was, short and sweet.

Other than a sharp inhalation, Ash did not move a muscle. He merely sat there, eyes narrowed into slits, staring intently at Gary. Perhaps Ash was, as Gary was, was struck with feeling of déjà vu. Barely a month earlier Ash was professing the same thing to Gary. Only this time, there were two men vying for the ginger-haired Gym Leader.

"I take from your silence, this is unexpected. Being that I know you too are interested in her – "

The reaction Gary had expected, though delayed, finally surfaced. Suddenly the covers on the bed were cast aside and livid Ash Ketchum made a move for him. Gary found himself instinctively moving away from the bed before Ash could reach him. The Pokémon Master hovered at the edge of the mattress, his fingers on both hands curled into a fist, ready fly if Gary made another remark about Misty.

"If by interested in you mean 'in love with for my entire life' than yes I would damn well say I'm interested in her!" Ash spat at him. He made a move to get up and Gary took a step back. "How dare you? You smug bastard! How dare you come here and say that to me?!"

"Ash," Gary put up a hand in an effort to quell the attack he knew was imminent. "Ash, we're just talking. Nothing has happened."

Ash visibly relaxed; his shoulders lowered ever so slightly and his outstretched arm fell slowly to his lap. Gary knew his rival's mind had immediately jumped to the worst possible scenario. He likely had envisioned Gary taking advantage of Misty again and again. In graphic detail. Far worse than "Pik-a-chu in the Shower." And although Gary couldn't really say "nothing" had happened, the creations of Ash's mind were far worse than the reality.

"I know it," Ash lied, trying to recover some of his pride. "She wouldn't be interested in you anyway," he added with a distinct edge of disdain.

Gary bit his tongue. Oh how he wanted to tell Ash the truth. That his beloved childhood sweetheart had expertly kissed Gary Oak, that she had pressed herself against him and bit back his name on her tongue. Oh he wanted to see the look on Ash's Ketchum's face, imagining her sweating brow, fallen eyelids and flushed cheeks. But Gary had not come here for that. He came here for business.

"Well regardless. I am interested in her," he replied curtly.

Ash gave him a dubious look. "I find it difficult to believe, you, of all people, would be interested in Misty."

"What's so difficult to believe?"

"She doesn't seem like your type." In Ash's mind a parade of Gary's conquests that he'd seen on the news, in the paper and on the internet marched by. They were a leggy and slim with streams of golden hair, adorned in the most lavish of clothes (that left little the imagination), with pounds of artificial coatings on their lips, eyelids and eyelashes. He did not need to know any of them to know that they were also all vapid and empty-headed.

"What about her is not my type? She's gorgeous, talented, smart and a little sassy which I kind of like," a little smile crept onto his lips which was quite involuntary. He didn't really how much of her brazen, no-nonsense attitude he liked. It was so different and refreshing from all the yes men (and yes women) in his life.

Ash did not appear to be convinced. "...You spent one goddamn day with her. You don't know anything about her!"

Gary raised an eyebrow. "And yet I bet I know more about than you do."

A disbelieving laugh escaped the Pokémon Master's lips. "You're joking right? Misty and I were _best friends._ We traveled all over the place together. We camped out every night. We woke up every morning next to each other. We spent every single day together. We shared experiences - things you couldn't possibly understand. Especially not after one day."

Gary shook his head, uttering little patronizing tsks between shakes. "Well that's just it, isn't it? You _were_ best friends. You traveled. You camped. You laughed. You cried. Blah, blah blah, blah blah. None of that matters now. That's the past. You don't know anything about who Misty is today."

Ash did not like Gary's implication. "She's the same person she was," he said through gritted teeth.

"Is she, Ash? Is she?" Gary could not believe Ash could be so naïve. Did he really believe she hadn't changed since he left?

"You don't think the years of your indifference had some effect on her?" Gary continued when the Pokémon Master remained suspiciously silent. "What about all those phone calls she made when you were hundreds of miles away? You'd give her a hasty, half-hearted conversation before rushing off to your next adventure. Time after time, of 'Oh I'll call you when I get here,' or 'We'll talk more when I'm not so busy.' But you were always busy. And you never called her back. Which was bad enough, but then you just stopped taking calls altogether. You just didn't have time in your schedule to spare two minutes to take a call from her. And you don't think that had any effect?"

Gary, knew, first hand that it did. He didn't even have to know who she was ten years ago to know that much. The mistrust she had for anything and everything was not something innate.

"Look," Ash's hand tangled itself in his black hair, a sign of his clear frustration. "I already explained all of this to her. I was doing anything and everything to become a Pokémon Master. Why are you hassling me about this? You were there. You should know what it takes to be the best. After all, it used to be your dream."

Gary picked up on the scornful way Ash delivered this line. As if to say, _it was __your__ dream, but you gave it up_. He opened his mouth to retort, but Ash continued.

"You have to make sacrifices. And I did. Not just her, but everyone. Brock, May, Max, Dawn, everyone! I lost touch with everyone! Even my own mother! How do you think she felt? She had no idea where I was and if I'd ever come home. And she managed to forgive me!"

"Yeah and maybe Misty will forgive you, too. Maybe. But you can't go around pretending that the relationship you guys had ten years ago is the same one it is now. It's not. You're different. She's different. It just doesn't work like that," Gary informed him crisply.

"Why are you telling me this? I don't see how this has ANYTHING to do with you," a now defensive Ash Ketchum pointed out.

"You're right. It doesn't. The only reason I'm here I'm here to solve our conflict of interest." Gary crossed his arms resolutely, awaiting some response from the other man. However, he was disappointed to see Ash just looked confused, as if Gary sprouted a second head, squawking like some weird human-Doduo hybrid.

Gary sighed. "I mean to say, what are we going to do about this?"

Ash furrowed his brow. He didn't quite understand the question. "What do you mean 'do about' it? What are we _supposed_ to do about it?"

"Well I was thinking perhaps we make some sort of arrangement. In this scenario, one of Misty's suitors s decides to, ever-so-gentlemanly, give up his pursuits of her in order to better allow for her overall happiness and sense of well being."

Gary looked at Ash in anticipation. He doubted very much he would be pleased with the idea. In fact, he was anticipating being told to leave. But Ash just stared at him, wide eyed, as if he had never seen Gary before.

Gary decided to take this silence as permission to continue. "Listen, here's what I'm proposing. Since we both want the same woman and she can't seem to make up her mind I say we make her decision a little bit easier. We'll have one all out, no-holds-barred Pokémon match. Winner gets to pursue her to his heart's content. The Loser stays away. Forever. Whaddaya say?"

Ash blinked disbelievingly. He was still waiting for the punch line.

"You're kidding right? You can't actually be serious?"

"I am," a stony-faced Gary clarified.

Ash stared. Gary had truly gone off the deep end. That much was clear. "Are you out of your mind?

"What?" Gary shrugged his shoulders. "It's nothing you haven't agreed to before."

"That's exactly the point!" Ash exclaimed incredulously. "It was wrong then and it's wrong now!" Ash folded his arms and leaned back into his pillow with a self-satisfied sound. "And you're despicable for even suggesting it!" he added after a beat.

Gary rolled his eyes. "Oh get off your soap box. Let's not forget it was YOU who made the bet in the first place. Remember?" Ash shifted guiltily underneath his comforter knowing that it was true.

"Yeah, but I was willing to back out of it," Ash protested. "You're the one who was pushing it! Telling me how romantic it would be if she met me by the lake and all that other nonsense you cooked up."

Gary gave Ash a pointed look. "You and I both know that we are equally guilty in this. So you can quit it with the holier-than-thou attitude and just save me some time. Are you in or out?"

Ash shook his head. "No. I won't be a part of your stupid, immature bets anymore," the Pokémon Master said emphatically. "I don't know why I agreed to one in the first place," he added under his breath.

"You know why you did," Gary approached the bed and chanced to sit down on what appeared to be a clean spot. "You wanted to beat me. You wanted me to have a taste of my own medicine. And that's fine. I get it. I'm the same way." Ash nodded his head a little, unable to say the words but fully affirming that it was true.

"But here are the facts, Ash. When you go to bed tonight, you're going to bed alone. You and me both. But, unlike you I can live with this. So while I continue to make amazing discoveries, you're going to keep living every day, half a man, wasting away in this bed. Day in and day out. And that's never going to change if you don't do something about it. That's what I'm offering; a chance for you to do something. To make something change."

Ash was still not swayed by Gary's speech. "Do you really think I'd take on another bet with you after how the last one ended up? The bet I started with you is the whole reason I'm not with her in the first place. She might never forgive me for that! Do you think I'm stupid enough to do that again?"

"Uh I don't know Ash," Gary's words dripped with sarcasm. "Are you stupid enough to TELL her about it again!"

"I was trying to be honest with her," Ash cut in. "Because _I_ actually care about her."

"And where has that gotten you?" Gary challenged.

It was just a step too far. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!" Ash shouted suddenly at the top of his lungs.

His shoulders were heaving, his breathing had become rapid and shallow and his left eye was twitching something fierce. Gary could see he had touched a nerve. He made a move to help Ash, but the unraveling Pokemon Master would have none of it. He recoiled instantly, reminding Gary of a cornered Arbok. Gary was sure if he had the capability he would have hissed at him.

"Look Ash, I'm just say – "

"Shut up, will you?" Ash cut him off swiftly. "You don't think I know what a shithole my life has become? You think I don't know?!" Gary felt himself jump a little; Ash sent a punch into the wall and didn't even flinch.

"Why'd you come here anyway?" Ash demanded. "Just to rub my nose in it? Just to make me more miserable? Do you get some sick, sadistic enjoyment out of this? Do you think this is fun? Or is it some sort of game for you? Is this something you do to everyone? Gambling with other people's lives for your own amusement?"

"Spare me all your self-righteous fury, all right?" Gary only had so much capacity for sympathy. Ash needed to learn the harsh realities of life if he was going to survive in this world.

"I told you why you I came here and that was to make a deal. I am not doing this for my own enjoyment, believe me. I'm doing this because it is the only situation in which two out of three of end up happy at all. So stop playing the victim and just listen up. I'm about to teach a valuable life lesson, okay? Life IS gambling, Ash, life is gambling. Think about it. I mean, really think about it. You go into life with whatever hand this twisted universe has allowed you to have. Maybe you're smart, or resourceful or just eerily good at playing the spoons. Whatever! People who are successful take what they're given and turn it into something more. Sure you could lose everything that way. But it's the only way to get a shot at the jackpot. And it's better than just sitting there with a pair of twos and folding like a coward. And that is how I've chosen to live _my_ life. _That's_ how I operate these days. I bet big and I win big. That's all it is."

Ash looked at Gary strangely. He was suddenly acutely aware of how different he and Gary really were. "That really is how you think about it, isn't it?

"I do," Gary said a little impatiently.

"Look Gary, as much as it pains me to admit it, you could have any girl you want. Any woman in Kanto, or Hoenn or Sinnoh. I don't know why you've chosen to fixate on the one girl who has ever loved me. Maybe it's your way of tormenting me. I don't know." Ash inhaled deeply and then exhaled audibly, working up the courage to tell finally Gary off once and for all.

"What I do know is that it's not going to work. Whatever scheme you've got in mind won't ruin this. I love Misty and she knows that now. She'll come around and when she does I'll be there waiting patiently." Gary noted with a grimace how awfully high and mighty Ash sounded for someone who was just laying in old Dorito crumbs.

Gary knew this little declaration was meant to end the conversation, but he was not about to let Ash Ketchum get the last word. "Fine we can do it your way. You can wait around like a good little boy. And while you do that I'm going to actually be doing something. I wonder who Misty will choose? The guy she never hears from or the one charming the pants off her."

"Uh I think you're forgetting," Ash said, his tone becoming increasingly condescending. "I was the one who won our wager, didn't I?" An uncharacteristic smirk was forming on his mouth. "You don't stand a chance. I don't need to worry about you," every syllable absolutely reeked of contempt.

"Is that what you think?" Gary said darkly. "Is that really what you think?"

"Well let me enlighten you Ash. You did not actually win our bet. Oh no, in fact, it was quite the opposite. Allow me to fill you in on what _really_ happened at your party. While you were cowardly hiding behind palm fronds and party guests, I was engaging her, talking with her, laughing with her, dancing with her and finally, kissing her. That's right, you heard me. And not just a mere peck on the cheek or glancing brush of the lips. This, my friend, was some of my finest work. My kiss literally made her weak at her knees. You should have seen the way she trembled under my touch. She was gasping and sighing and heaving like a Growlithe in heat. She wanted me, Ash. She wanted me bad. And I'll tell this, I was all of two seconds away from giving in. I was two seconds away from tearing away that delicately woven skirt and defiling her there on your front lawn . But I didn't. I didn't think it was fair to you. After all I her practically on her back in a few hours and you hadn't been able to make a move in ten years. I just thought you, all weepy and heartbroken on the riverbank. I have so much already, I didn't think it was fair to deny you this. So I told her where you were, despite everything that had occurred and I let you have your best go at it. And you still managed to screw it up fabulously, if I do say so myself.

I tried to do a good thing Ash, but you've made it clear you don't know how to treat a woman like Misty. And let's face it - I do. I really do. So if you're not worried, you ought to be. Because I'm the reason she hasn't picked up that phone. I'm the reason she hasn't forgiven you and I'm the reason you're going to lose her if you don't do something."

Gary was not sure if he had gone too far. He was simply trying to make a point. He had not intended at all to tell Ash all of that. Somehow once he started, he could not stop. The words came tumbling out of his mouth uncontrollably. Ash merely looked at him, unblinking. Gary was not sure what to expect. Anger? Sadness? A terrifying combo of the two in which Ash started punching through dry wall and crying? But Ash remained surprisingly level-headed, especially considering what he had just been told. He continued to just stare eerily.

And just like that, an eyebrow raise. Ash was neither angry or hurt. Not yet anyway. "You expect me to believe that?" he said skeptically. "You actually expect me to believe that she would have kissed you?"

"Twice ," Gary, seeing he had not done irreparable damage, allowed more of his self-satisfaction to shine through. He held up two fingers and waggled them suggestively.

"Well, she never said anything about it to me," Ash said in an almost challenging way.

"Gee that's weird. I thought you guys were being honest with each other." This remark cut more than Gary realized. Ash would have hoped if he had been brave enough to tell Misty about his horrible, loathsome, disgusting wager, that she would have the decency to share if she had kissed Gary Oak.

"I don't believe you," Ash said, more because he did not want to believe him.

"You can ask her yourself."

Gary felt comfortable saying this for two reasons. For one, he knew Ash would never be able to ask her that, especially since it took him three weeks to even call her on the phone. Two, even if he did, he had a sneaking suspicion Misty would not lie about it. She was too noble and self-righteous herself.

"I don't need to. She would never kiss you," Ash looked Gary up and down as though he were the scum of the Earth. Oh Gary how hated that false self-assured attitude. Ash was wrong and he had absolutely no clue. That was the worst of it.

"Oh yeah? I guess I wouldn't know she likes it when you tangle your fingers through her hair . I guess I wouldn't know that airy, little sigh that escapes her every time you kiss her neck. I guess I wouldn't know the way her fingers tense every time your tongues glides down her skin and towards her - "

This time Gary _had_ gone too far. A very red-faced Ash sprung from his bed like a rabid Arcanine, lips pulled back into a snarl, practically foaming at the mouth. He tackled his long time rival to the ground. They fell to ground in a tangle of limbs with a thud, and continued to roll across the carpeted floor. Fists were flying, most of them belonging to Ash, who was in such a blind rage he could not even take the time to aim properly. He swung his fists clumsily at Gary who, for the most part easily dodged his attack. He reached out his hands to halt Ash's punches but he could not grip Ash's arms long enough to do any good.

Ash was like a Pokémon using Fury - he would not be stopped until he landed a critical hit. Finally, he did. He got in one spectacular punch, a perfect right hook to Gary's nose. Blood spurted like fountain and for a moment Ash ceased his assault. He looked, completely dumbstruck at Gary who now had his blood pouring down his face. The expression on Ash's face read disbelief; he could not believe he had it in him. Gary too seemed to share a similar feeling because he just stared at his rival, one hand pressed to his bruised nose, in complete shock.

He glanced down at the hand cradling his injured nose and saw the blood. He looked back up at Ash. The moment of befuddlement was over. He was seeing red; both figuratively and literally.

Gary planted a kick to Ash's chest which sent him fly back across the room. Ash hit his bedroom wall with a dull thud and fell to the floor. When he glanced up he saw the now rage filled Gary getting to his feet, chest heaving, nose bleeding, nostrils flaring. Ash noticed the similarities he shared with an angry Tauros.

A different Ash Ketchum would have been intimidated by this. This Ash Ketchum was anything but. A feeling bubbled in Ash's chest. A feeling of anger. A feeling of betrayal. All he knew was he just wanted to tear Gary limb from limb.

They both charged, slamming their bodies against each with as much force as each man could muster. The impact of the collision sent them both to the ground where the two Pallet Town heroes struggled to gain the upper hand. Gary, the more muscular of the two, already had an advantage. He used his superior strength take hold of Ash's flying hands. He used this leverage to pull Ash onto in stomach. In one movement, Gary placed one knee in the middle of Ash's back and simultaneously pulled back his arms eliciting a painful groan from his the raven-haired boy.

Ash struggled fiercely, but his position was clearly compromised. He could not free his arms and his lower limbs flailed uselessly. Concentrating all his strength, he rolled onto his back, taking Gary off guard. Gary lost his balance and collapse on top of Ash, still gripping Ash's wrist between his fingers. Although Ash had managed to catch him unaware, Gary still expertly maintained his composure and was able pin down Ash's dominant arm with one knee. However, in his haste to incapacitate the arm, he neglected the other. Ash ripped his wrist away, made an arc with his other hand that swooped down and made impact with Gary's right cheek. Gary recoiled from the blow slightly, allowing Ash to shove Gary away.

Ash leapt forward and tackled Gary to the ground. With agility and precision he had not known he possessed he used both knees to pin Gary's arms and then placed his forearm against his rival's throat. He applied a little bit of pressure using his other hand and pushed against the arm constricting Gary's wind pipe. Gary wheezed, trying as hard as he could to pull in a breath and found himself unable. For once in his life, he was actually scared of Ash. The look in his eyes was menacing - he'd only seen a creature look like that once in his life. His experience at the Viridian Gym had not but pleasant, but it paled in comparison with this.

"I swear to God, if you even look at her again, I'll - "

"ASH KETCHUM! YOU LET HIM GO THIS INSTANT!"

Delia Ketchum was standing in the doorway, her small shoulders heaving, cheeks red like her dear little Mimey's and teeth bared like some sort of wild, rabid Pinsir.

Ash looked up with horror at the sound. Mrs. Ketchum did not get easily angered. Few things ruffled her feathers. But roughhousing in her beautifully kept home did not sit well with her. Nor did choking the life out of childhood friends. Before Ash could even release Gary, Delia was upon him, yanking him up by the ear, her lungs at full capacity.

"WHAT ON EARTH IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?!" the saccharine sound of Mrs. Ketchum had soured some since Gary's arrival. Ash tried to twist away from her Iron Grip, but that only encouraged her to hold on tighter. The only sound Ash could make in response was a pitiful moan.

"WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE KINDNESS THAT GARY AND HIS GRANDFATHER HAVE SHOWN THIS FAMILY AND THE WAY YOU HAVE BEHAVED TODAY - IT'S INEXCUSABLE! IT'S ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING! I WANT YOU TO EXPLAIN YOURSELF THIS MINUTE ASH KETCHUM!"

Even though the anger was not directed at him, Gary felt a little terrified himself. She practically had him quaking in his boots. Despite the fact that he thought he might wet himself, Gary swallowed his terror and began to lift himself off the floor. He thought it was best he explain; she'd likely be much more understanding with someone who was not her son. "Uh Mrs. Ketchum," he said tentatively. "It's okay, Ash and I were just - just messing arou - "

"Quiet Gary."

The words were so icy cold, Gary froze in his tracks. Two words. She had said two words and it was enough to shut up him up completely. He didn't think there was anything he could to do to help Ash at this point so he just kept his head down and waited for it to blow over.

"I'm waiting," She said, angrily tapping her foot. Ash flinched a little when he chanced to look up at her. That look in her eyes reminded of him of his rather short-tempered Charizard, a creature that when angered was as terrifying as it was powerful. He wasn't entirely sure that a steaming hot jet of fire wasn't going to come out of her mouth as well.

"Uh" Ash floundered. How could he spin him nearly strangling Gary within an inch of his life as something innocuous?

He suddenly remembered the many years he spent observing infant and adolescent Pokemon and how they often fought as a form of play. Was that too much of a stretch? Would she really believe what she just saw was two grown up adult men punch and kicking as a form of play? Ash figured it was his only shot. If he told his mother the truth, that he had every intention of beating Gary to a pulp, well he did not want to know what she would do.

"We were just - you know - play fighting. Like Pokemon do when they're little. To - uh release all that energy," he said inelegantly. He his eyes dropped to floor shamefully, wondering if the lie was passable. He waited for her to respond, likely with a diatribe about how his was the worst lie she'd ever heard, but was surprised when there was none. He dared to look at her.

"Okay," she said in a significantly calmer voice. Ash's head perked up ever-so-slightly! Perhaps it had worked after all. "And can you explain how that turned into you SQUEEZING THE AIR OUT OF THIS POOR BOYS THROAT!"

Oops. Never mind.

"It just got out of hand, I guess - " he attempted to say, but was swiftly cut off before he could continue with his incredibly flimsy and not to mention lame attempt at explanation.

"I'LL SAY IT DID!" She bellowed into the ear she was still gripping. She finally released him and immediately her son took a few steps back from her. If she was going to make another move for him, he at least wanted a few paces between them. He gingerly placed a hand to his ear, which he was certain was beet red thanks to all the blood rushing there from both pain and embarrassment. Things had gotten out of hand indeed.

Delia let him put some distance between them, but remained ever the picture of authority with her arms folded across her chest and a deep scowl on her face. Ash wondered if she was figuring out ways to punish him. He would not put it past her to try and bend him over her lap and give him a spanking. He could see it now; a twenty year old man, probably one of most accomplished and revered Pokemon trainers in the entire world, bent over Delia's knees while his rival watched. He could not think of a worse punishment.

"Now Ash, you are going to beg Gary's forgiveness," she made no indication whether she believed Ash's explanation. Ash guessed the 'why' of the matter did not really matter to her. The fact that he had done it at all was enoug_h. If only she knew what that snake, Gary was really up to_, he thought furiously.

"Uh Mrs. Ketchum, that's really not necessary," Gary tried to intervene again. If Delia heard his pleas she made no indication of it.

"And you are going figure out some way that you can possibly make it up to him," she continued briskly. "Am I clear?" The way she said it reminded Ash of when he was a little boy and she would scold him. Ash felt like he hadn't grown up at all. He was in the same position he was ten years ago. Held up in his house, being yelled at by his mother.

"Of course. Absolutely," he said obediently. She angled her body towards Gary, who still had not moved from the floor, and gestured to him. _Oh God_, Ash thought unhappily. _She wants me to do it right now. _

Ash felt sick. Apologizing to that no-good, lousy, lying, amoral bastard was more than he could take. Especially after the way he talked about Misty.

"I – I'm…sorry Gary," with an incredible amount of effort he managed to get the words out. As soon as the words left his mouth Ash felt certain that he was going to vomit.

"And what are you sorry for?" Delia chided.

"I'm sorry for getting too rough with you." The feeling of nausea only became stronger.

"And?"

"I will do anything and everything in my power to make it up to you," he said, swallowing back the throw up that was burning his throat.

Gary considered this proposal; the idea of having Ash as his own personal slave certainly appealed to him. And of course there was the option of making Ash surrender in the fight for Misty?

Gary quickly dismissed both thoughts. For one, it wasn't exactly like Gary had been innocent during the exchange either. Mrs. Ketchum just happened to walk in at the wrong time - or in Gary's case, the right time. For another, he had come to give Ash a fair shot, and this was anything but.

"Thank you Ash, I appreciate that, but that is entirely unnecessary," he said as cordially as possible. "My humblest apologies as well. We both let it get out of hand," he added, head bowed as a display of humility.

Well, Ash had to give him credit. Gary was one hell of a performer.

"Are you certain, Gary? Ash would be willing to make it up to you in ANY way possible," she added a little extra bite to the word any as she shot Ash another little death glare.

"Nonsense. Ash is my old friend. You know how it is Mrs. Ketchum. Sometimes our instincts get the better of us. All I want is to be able continue our discussion as rationally and politely as possible."

Delia looked skeptical. She had her qualms about leaving them in a room together alone now. She would not allow her beautiful home to become a cesspool of violence and aggression. She glanced over at her son, staring at his shoes, head hung low. He certainly was not going misbehave again. Not if he knew what was good for him. And she trusted Gary to be the gentleman he had always been to her.

"Hmmm. All right," she said slowly, her voice revealing the misgivings she had. "But if I hear even the smallest bump, well – I had better not," she warned.

She made her way towards the door, but anyone could see she was in no hurry. She moved at a Slowpoke's pace, just watching them with her hawk eyes waiting for them to place one toe out of line.

"I'm leaving this open," she indicated to the door as she finally closed the gap to it. Delia went to exit the room, but before she was completely out of sight, threw one final suspicious look over her shoulder.

"I didn't mean any of it," Ash said as soon as his mother was out of earshot.

"I know you didn't," Gary replied plainly. He got to his feet and began dusting himself off; Oreo crumbs and dry skin flakes were sticking to him everywhere.

Once he was as clean as he could possibly get, he looked up. He was surprised to see a forlorn-looking Ash had taken a seat on the arm of his sofa, arms crossed and looking out the window in the darkness. Somewhere, in that darkness, Misty was out there. He was probably thinking he'd never see her again. There it was again. A twinge of that Gary Oak guilt.

"Look Ash this really did get out of hand. I did not come here to start a fight with you. Not like this anyway." He gestured to the area, all the debris had been thrown or crushed by their tumbling bodies.

"I did not come here to humiliate you. I did not come here to mock you. Honestly. I came to settle things once and for all. The fact is that as long as we're both interested in her, Misty will never, ever choose. I can tell that now. I thought I could change her mind, but it's obvious as long as there's a chance with you, she'll never be able to commit to me. Oh don't look so smug," he noted the glimmer of a smile playing on Ash's lips when he said this. "You're in the exact same boat as I am. She knows you lied to her, and that you basically threw her out like yesterday's trash. And she knows I like her. So get off your high horse, because as long as I'm around that phone of yours won't be ringing."

Ash bit his lip doubtfully. He wasn't sure what to believe anymore.

"I'm not bluffing, Ash" Gary's voice took on a timbre Ash was not familiar with. It sounded tired. It sounded resigned. It was as though he was running out of tricky words and charm to bargain with. "Even if I was is that really a chance you want to take? Do you really want to risk the possibility that Misty could choose me? "

"Honestly Gary, dealing with you seems way more dangerous," Ash responded truthfully.

"Ash, there are no tricks this time. No advantages. For either of us. We have both battled Pokémon since we were ten years old. It's simply a matter of the best man winning." Ash remained unmoved. Gary knew this silence to be one of quiet refusal.

"Look, this has nothing to do with not letting Misty making her own decisions. She's doing that all by herself. You and I know she is going to hold onto all that hurt we both caused her and use it as an excuse to _never_ make a decision."

"So why do anything at all?" Ash finally said. "If she's never going to make a choice anyway," he added somewhat sullenly. He couldn't help but feel Gary was, in this instance, correct. Misty could say she wasn't ready forever, and neither he nor Gary could do anything about it.

"Because if one option is removed suddenly a very hard decision becomes a very easy decision. A decision she no longer even has to make," Gary stated practically.

"So, you want to win her heart by default?" Ash balked, suddenly very offended. He shook his head vigorously, trying to expunge the mere thought from his head. "Doesn't seem right," he couldn't help mumbling to himself.

"Don't think about it that way. We're just making her life a little easier. She doesn't know what's good for her. She has spent too much time alone to realize what she could have, with one of us, is a whole lot better. If we have to use a little influence in the outcome of her decision, it's really for her own good."

"I don't like this…" Ash spoke more to himself that to his conversation partner. He agreed, Misty probably would hold onto all the things he had done wrong to her and use it as an excuse to never be with him. She was scared he would do it again. And as much as that would hurt them both, wasn't that her mistake to make? He didn't think it was right to choose for her? How could he make that big of a decision for her life without her even knowing? That is, of course, if there really was a choice to be made (which Ash was beginning to suspect there was indeed).

"Really Ash, really? I don't know how else to convince you that this is the only way." Gary was tired of trying to convince Ash this was the only way. He had spun it from every possible angle and, in his opinion, thought he had put up a pretty solid and loophole-less argument. Gary was honestly surprised it was not working better. Perhaps Ash could no longer be manipulated? Maybe the threat of losing Misty had made him grow up more than Gary realized.

Gary only had one more thing left to try. If this did not get Ash to battle, nothing would.

"Okay. I think I know what this is really about," Gary said, a familiar haughtiness crept back into his voice. "I get it. You should have just told me from the start."

A puzzled Ash Ketchum looked at his rival questioningly. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean, it's obvious, isn't it? I can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner!" Gary slapped his forehead as though he had just had an epiphany. He turned to Ash, an enormous grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. Ash waited in expectation for Gary to reveal what was so obvious.

"You don't think you can beat me."

Ash was on his feet before Gary could even complete the sentence. "WHAT?" he demanded ferociously. "What did you just say?!"

"That's it, isn't it? You don't think you can beat me. It makes sense now. That's the only reason you wouldn't do this. Beating me is the only way to get me out of Misty's life and you know you can't."

"THAT'S the only reason? THAT?" Ash exclaimed incredulously. "It's not because uh - it's completely unfair to Misty and sneaky and manipulative and – "

But Gary was not listening, "Amazing Ash. You achieve the greatest status a Pokémon trainer can achieve and still you're afraid to battle me!" He started shake his head and laugh.

"I am NOT afraid to battle you!" Ash stated insistently. "In case you don't remember, the last time we battled I beat you!"

"Yes," Gary affirmed, nodding his head. "Yes you did. When was that again? Ten years ago?"

Ash scoffed at this. "Yeah so?"

"Haven't you noticed we haven't battled since? It's not because you think it was a fluke, is it?" A sly Gary Oak suggested.

"No."

"And it's not because you think I'll beat you, is it?" He prodded even further.

"No!"

"It's not because as long as you don't battle again, as far as everyone is concerned you beat me. Isn't that how you want it to stay, hmm?

"NO!" Ash screamed, completely forgetting the door was open and that if his mother heard any more suspicious noises she was not going to be a happy camper.

"Say no more Ash, it's all very clear to me now. I'm so sorry for wasting your time," and with that Gary turned around and headed for the door. Ash could not see the crooked grin Gary was wearing as he made to exit. He could only see his pride walking out the door with his biggest rival.

How could he not do this? Didn't he have some sort of obligation to protect Misty from whatever intentions Gary Oak had for her? If he lets Gary go, he'd just pursue her unendingly until one day, she inevitably has a moment of weakness and does something she'll completely regret. Doesn't he have the duty to do anything to keep Gary Oak away from her, at any cost? Even if it meant a little dirty business? Doesn't he owe that much to her after basically forcing Gary on her in the first place?

"Hey." Gary turned around slowly to face Ash, traces of the smirk still on his lips.

And just like that, Gary knew he had him.

"Yes?"

"I am a Pokémon Master," Ash told him plainly. "Who the _hell_ are you?"

"Me?" Gary said mischievously. "I'm Gary _motherfucking_ Oak and I'm the guy who's going to beat your sorry ass."

...

To Be Continued…


End file.
